Electrical Power Load Shedding In Botswana: 2015

By Maurice O. D. Mzwinila

Pre-2008 , approximately 70.00 % of Botswana’s power requirement was imported from her neighbouring countries , with the bulk of it coming from the South African giant , ESKOM . To mitigate this anomaly , in 2008 the Botswana Government approved the construction commencement of a new 600MW thermal power plant , the Morupule “ B “ Power Station , at an estimated cost of P11b ( Eleven Billion Botswana Pula ) .

The plant was to be commissioned in 2012 . However , after encountering numerous problems in its design and construction , it only came into operation two years later , in 2014 ....limping . I use the word limping here , because that’s what it was ... a limping new power station . Although it was commissioned in that year , it could not provide the 600MW of power anxiously expected , due to numerous technical problems ....imagine that : a “ brand new power station “ ...!

As a result , the poor country was plunged into a series of serious Load Shedding from 2012 to 2015 . This book highlights the peak of the load shedding occurrences in the year 2015 .

However , in 2019 the problems that have haunted the smooth operation of the Morupule B Power Station still exist , although ........Now in 2019 , the Morupule B Power Station is to be overhauled by its original contractors , the China National Electric Engineering Co ( CNEEC ) , at their own cost . This overhaul project is expected to be completed by January 2023 ..... imagine that ....2008 to 2023 !

• Language: English
• Publisher: Maurice O. D. Mzwinila
• Release date: Feb 17, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005544485

Book preview

ELECTRICAL

POWER

LOAD SHEDDING

IN BOTSWANA: 2015

Maurice O. D. Mzwinila

Power Systems Engineer [ PSE ]

Copyright © 2020 Maurice O. D. Mzwinila

Published by Maurice O. D. Mzwinila Publishing at Smashwords

First edition 2020

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage or retrieval system without permission from the copyright holder.

The Author has made every effort to trace and acknowledge sources/resources/individuals. In the event that any images/information have been incorrectly attributed or credited, the Author will be pleased to rectify these omissions at the earliest opportunity.

Published by Maurice Oarabile Daniel Mzwinila using Reach Publishers’ services,

Edited by Gerard Peter for Reach Publishers

Cover designed by Reach Publishers

P O Box 1384, Wandsbeck, South Africa, 3631

Website: www.reachpublishers.org

E-mail: [e-mail]

Prologue

"To everything , there is a Season , a Reason , a Time for every Purpose

Under the Sun………

A Time to Plant

A Time to Build-up

A Time to Gain

A Time to Give

A Time to Lead by Example

A Time to Speak ………

A Time to Write a Book ………

A Time to Fly Way up Yonder Like a Bird"………

Adapted from Ecclesiastes3: 1-7

Dedication

This book is dedicated to my wonderful wife of many years, Nosho Miranda Gothama, to our six children: The 4Ks (Kefentse, Kebuileng, Kutlwano, and Kabelo), our daughters-in-law: Makgosi and Lettie and Kimberly, as well as to our three grandchildren: Ofentse, Refentse and Kgosi Kefentse.

To Kebuileng: Thank you son for planting the seed in my mind to publish this book. Without your insistence the book would not have been written.

Finally, I also dedicate this book to my parents and mother-in-law: Joyce, Daniel and Elizabeth Mmankhabele.

Table of Contents

Prologue

Dedication

1.Synopsis: An Overview

2.Introduction

3.Conclusions and Recommendations

4.Appendices, Graphs, Tables, and Data

5.References

6.Definitions

7.Acknowledgements

8.A Lesson In Perseverance

9.Some Anecdotes and Interesting Information

10.About The Author

11.Epilogue

Chapter 1

Synopsis: An Overview

Most electrical power in Botswana is generated thermally in installations run by the Botswana Power Corporation. These installations are the Morupule A and B power plants.

In 2011, our total installed electricity capacity was 132 MW thermal (coal) at the Morupule A Power Station.

A new power station, Morupule B Power Station was supposed to have been fully operational by 2012, but that was not realised until June 2014. This was due to this new power station continually experiencing serious technical problems that are consistent with faults within its design. Effectively, we ended up with a brand new second-hand power station.