Norway’s Scatec Signs New Solar Contract for Botswana Copper Mine

Norwegian energy group Scatec signed a seven-year leasing agreement for a 21 MW solar power plant to supply the Motheo copper mine near Ghanzi, Botswana. 

In a statement released by Scatec and seen by AEP, the installation, expected to enter service by the end of 2026, will generate about 40 GWh per year, covering about 30% of the electricity needs of the site operated by Tshukudu Metals Botswana, a subsidiary of Sandfire Resources..

In recent times, Solar energy has increasingly been preferred as an alternative, supported by well-established business models.

Release has also adopted a lease-to-own structure, allowing the mine operator to access large-scale solar capacity without upfront capital investment, with the capacity installed on site and directly integrated into mining operations.

Other approaches are also emerging across the continent, for instance, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, CrossBoundary Energy is developing a solar plant with storage for the Kamoa-Kakula copper mine aimed at providing baseload power, typically supplied by fossil fuels.

In South Africa, Sibanye-Stillwater has signed renewable power purchase agreements with energy traders, with electricity transmitted on the national grid to supply mining operations.

These models show how solar power is gradually integrating into the electricity systems that support Africa’s extractive industry.