- Australia’s Tlou Energy has been awarded tenders for the construction of transmission lines and substations to connect the coal-bed methane Lesedi power project to the Botswana national electricity grid at Serowe.
- Tenders have been awarded to Zismo Engineering (Pty) Ltd (“Zismo”) for the construction of the overhead lines and to OptiPower for construction of substations at Lesedi and Serowe.
The Lesedi project is located approximately 100 Km from the existing electricity grid in Botswana. The first stage of development will be the erection of wooden poles fitted with an overhead 66kV transmission line. Substations will be installed at Lesedi and Serowe. The Lesedi substation will integrate the generation assets with the transmission line and the Serowe substation will tie in with Botswana Power Corporation’s existing infrastructure.
The transmission line route has been surveyed and full environmental approval is already in place. The line will predominantly cross flat, arid terrain with the last 5 Km being through the outskirts of the Serowe township.
Tlou’s Managing Director Tony Gilby said: “We are delighted with the response to our tender and look forward to working with our new local contractor Zismo and OptiPower, to connect our Lesedi power project to the grid at Serowe. The proposed transmission line is the key to unlocking our independently certified gas reserves and contingent resources as well as our solar potential. The local and broader market is significantly short on sources of cleaner energy and Tlou’s projects aim to be a significant supplier over time.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
Source: Tlou Energy
