The Government of Botswana officially launched the Botswana National Renewable Energy and Power Sector Plan on 24 September 2026 during the UN General Assembly.
The plan underscores Botswana’s commitment to strengthening energy security, accelerating economic diversification, and scaling up domestic clean power generation. It sets out an integrated pathway to guide energy planning and investment through 2050, linking rapid renewable energy expansion in the power sector with electrification across transport, mining, industry, and residential clean cooking.
The Government of Botswana and SEforALL developed the plan with grant support from ClimateWorks Foundation.
50%
lower oil consumption by 2050
5.7 bn
USD fuel and import cost savings during 2022-2050
11 bn
USD total power sector investments required by 2050
73%
solar share of total generation capacity by 2050
Botswana National Renewable Energy and Power Sector Plan Launch. Left to right: Daniel Schroth, Director for Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency, African Development Bank; Akinwole II Omoboriowo, Chairman of GENESIS Energy Group and Vice Chairman, Botswana Power Corporation; Hon. Bogolo Joy Kenewendo, Minister of Minerals and Energy, Botswana; Damilola Ogunbiyi, UN SRSG and CEO, SEforALL; Amb. Harald Aspelund, Ambassador for Climate Change, Environment and Energy, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Iceland; Jide Ikeako, Director of Africa Program, Global Energy Transition Initiative, ClimateWorks Foundation
Key findings:
- Building on existing energy policies through 2030, the Renewable Energy and Electrification Scenario (REES) sets more aggressive clean energy and sector electrification targets through 2050. Under the REES, Botswana’s oil and fuel imports will be reduced by nearly half by 2050. This is expected to result in approximately USD 5.7 billion in fuel and import cost savings over the period, even after accounting for the additional investment required to build new clean energy infrastructure.
- Under the REES, solar PV will rise to account for approximately 73% of Botswana's total power generation capacity by 2050, supported by a 4-fold expansion of battery storage capacity relative to current policy baselines to maintain grid stability.
- Under the REES, it will require about USD 11 billion in power sector investment across generation, storage, and grid infrastructure by 2050, with around USD 3 billion in mining electrification to be directly capitalized by mining operators.
- Achieving the accelerated REES pathway requires an overall cost increase of only 6% compared to current policy (equivalent to USD 200 million per year on average), which is substantially offset by cumulative fuel savings.