Botswana Power Corporation has ended a two-week period of nationwide load shedding after stabilising generation at the problem-ridden Morupule B power plant. The power cuts, introduced mid-month after a series of forced outages, were lifted following the restoration of one of the plant’s major generating units.
BPC spokesperson Kefilwe Kebafetotse said the recovered unit has strengthened baseload supply and eased pressure on the grid. “The restored unit is expected to improve baseload generation capacity, thereby contributing to a more stable power supply,” she said. Kebafetotse, however, warned that supply remains fragile, noting that unexpected dips in generation may still force the utility to reintroduce controlled outages to protect grid stability.
The easing of load shedding comes as President Duma Boko unveils a major turnaround plan for Botswana’s power sector. Speaking this week, the President confirmed that government will sign an agreement with a consortium of large private investors to overhaul the energy system, upgrade Morupule B, reconfigure Morupule A and modernise the transmission network.
Boko said the partnership aims to transform Botswana into a self-sufficient energy producer, reversing years of costly imports from South Africa. He noted that while Morupule A had been earmarked for decommissioning in 2027, new investment will extend its life by up to 15 years.
A modernised grid would also enable Botswana to export surplus electricity to markets such as Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo through the Southern African Power Pool, positioning the country as a regional energy supplier and freeing up an estimated P3 billion currently spent on imports for local development.
