RRA Botswana Expert Consultation workshop

The Renewables Readiness Assessment (RRA) Expert Consultation workshop, organised by IRENA in partnership with Botswana's Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, brought together relevant stakeholders for development of renewable in Botswana, including governmental officials, energy regulators and planners, energy experts, civil society, academia, financing institutions and the private sector. They discussed the challenges and opportunities for the development of renewables, the outcomes of which will provide substantive inputs for the analysis that will be conducted as part of the RRA process.

Botswana has abundant solar resource and a sizable biomass and wind potential, it is well placed to benefit from the global renewable energy transition triggered by the reduced technology costs. A number of renewable energy projects have been initiated, however, the majority of these have not been implemented due to various difficulties such as obtaining extraction licenses, approving preliminary studies, finalizing Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) or obtaining financial closure.

The Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security, Botswana in cooperation with IRENA recently initiated the Renewables Readiness Assessment process with a view to support the country’s efforts in strengthening the enabling environment for renewable energy deployment. The RRA is a country-specific assessment tool developed by IRENA that constitutes the backbone of the Agency’s engagement at the national level. The RRA offers a country-led multi-stakeholder process with a holistic assessment of key conditions for renewable energy deployment and short- to medium-term actions and recommendations to improve its readiness and overcome barriers through enabling framework conducive to renewable energy investments. The RRA process relies on an inclusive stakeholder consultative process.