BOTSWANA – ROLE OF WOMEN IN GRID

INTENSIFICATION

Presented by Masego Kealotswe

(Botswana Power Corporation - BPC)

MAPUTO, MOZAMBIQUE

09 – 12 June 2009

FACTS AND FIGURES - Botswana

• Location – Southern Africa, landlocked by;

– Republic of South Africa, Zambia, Namibia,

Zimbabwe

– Surface Area 582,000 square kilometers

• Population – 2001 census de facto; 1,694m

– Males 820,000 Females 874,000

• GDP growth – average rate of 5.5% per annum

• Poverty – 2001; 23% lived less than US$1 per day

• Literacy rate – 85%

POLICY PRONOUNCEMENT ON

ENERGY

• National Vision – ‘Vision 2016’;

– Prosperous, productive and innovative nation

• National Development Plan

– Provision of affordable, environmentally friendly and

sustainable energy sources

• Draft National Energy Policy

– Improve access and affordability of energy services

• Botswana Power Corporation

– ‘… rendering quality electrical services that are

affordable, efficient and environmentally prudent.’

IMPLEMENTATION STRUCTURES

MMEWR

• Energy sector governed by Ministry of Minerals Energy and Water Resources

EAD

• Responsible for formulation and monitoring of National energy programmes and projects.

BPC

• Implementation of electricity policy objectives

• Implementation of Rural Electrification Programme

PRESENTATION OVERVIEW

• Rural electrification

• Gender issues in electricity

• Opportunities for women

involvement in grid intensification

CURRENT RURAL ELECT. PROJECTS

• RE Botswana Programme (US$6.6m)

– Estimated 20, 000 PV customers by 2011

• 100 New Villages Electrification Project

(P550m)

– Estimate >10, 000 new Grid customers by 2016

• 30 New Villages Electrification Project

(P115m)

– Estimate >3, 000 new Grid customers by 2016

• 12 Villages Network Extension (P20m)

• Estimate 2500 new Grid Customers by 2016)

ELECTRIFICATION STATUS

• 300 out of 475 villages Electrified

(~ 63% penetration)

• 47.6% rural access – 124,124

domestic customers

–Access = connections/hh

• Average connection cost –

US$1,000.00

ELECTRIFICATION PENETRATION

• DISTRICTS

• KGALAGADI 65% CENTRAL 73%

KGATLENG 95% CHOBE 100%

• KWENENG 78% NORTH EAST 98%

NGAMILAND 49% SOUTH EAST 100%

• SOUTHERN 56 % GHANTSI 62%

COSTING METHODOLOGIES

a. Non – Grid ProductsA product range (rechargeable lanterns and solar charging stations, solar

electric systems, efficient cooking devices) package for RE Botswana

is currently under development.

b. Corridor Standard Cost VillagesUniform Standard Cost within 500m plus Actual cost beyond 500m from

an existing supply point (Villages electrified before 1999)

c. Non Corridor Standard Cost VillagesEverybody within a village pays the same fee (Villages electrified

during and after 1999 and villages that got their Networks Extended)

THE “RE BOTSWANA” PROJECT

Renewable Energy-based Rural Electrification

– Government of Botswana and UNDP signed Agreement in Oct

2005

– BPC as Implementing Agency

– By 2011 ongoing programme established

– Private sector led delivery via franchise company

– Targeting all rural households, businesses and Government

facilities not connected to the grid.

PV PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

• Home Energy Services:

– Rechargeable lanterns for retail: The Franchise to

establish lantern recharging depots powered by grid or

solar;

• Fee for service Solar Electric Systems of various

sizes for individual customers, Government and

Businesses.– These will provide power for 2-3 and 5-6 lights and low power appliances

(radio, cell phone, television, small refrigerator), can also be used for water

pumping,

– Customers pay a joining fee and monthly charge for maintenance of their

systems.

PV PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

• Efficient cooking appliances designed to reduce

wood usage and smoke (improved wood stoves,

heat retention devices/hot bags)

GRID ELECTRIFICATION

• Started by Government of Botswana in 1975

with assistance from Swedish International

Development Agency.

Eleven (11) Major Villages were electrified

• 1987 Danish International Development

Agency assisted with the electrification of

another Seven (7) major villages

• 1994 GOB & BPC took over (14 villages per

annum)

GRID ELECTRIFICATION

• BPC contributes 40% & GOB 60% to finance

projects at & above 6% IRR

• GOB finances projects below 6% IRR

• BPC responsible for recommendations and

implementation.

• GOB advances rural customers for individual

connections through Rural Collective

Schemes.

GRID CUSTOMER CONNECTIONS

0

50000

100000

150000

200000

250000

94/95 95/96 96/97 97/98 98/99 99/00 00/01 01/02 02/03 03/04 04/05 05/06 06/07 07/08 08/09

Year

Consumer Numbers

GRADUAL INCREASE IN

CONNECTIONS – 79%

INCREASE IN 15 YEARS

SINGLE WIRE EARTH RETURN PROJECT

• The project started in 1997 with 5 villages in the

Central District

• Pilot project planned to run for 10 years – closed in

2008 (new plan to upgrade to three phase)

• To date there were 904 connected households in the 5

villages

• Businesses and schools require upgrade as their

capacity increases

RURAL COLLECTIVE SCHEME (RCS)

• GOB started with Rural Revolving Electricity

Fund (RREF)

• RCS started in 1988 during NDP 7 to replace

(RREF)

• RCS can cover the whole village or could be a

group of customers in a village.

• By January 2005 there were 1539 RCS in

operation.

RCS OBJECTIVES

• To accelerate development.

• To increase electricity access

• To facilitate group/syndicate formation

• To make electricity affordable

STANDARD COST

• To ensure that beneficiaries share the benefits

of electrification equitably.

• To optimize the cost of designs by producing

a master reticulation plan.

• To reduce cases of pioneer refunds.

• To ease communication with customers.

CONNECTION PAYMENT TERMS

Power less than 35kW (60 Amps Single and Three Phase).

Upfront payment = 5% + (10% of the Total Quote as VAT)

Example; Total Quote = P6, 000.00

Upfront payment (5% of P6, 000.00) = P300.00

VAT (10% of P6, 000.00) = P600.00

Total Deposit = P900.00

Balance of 95% (Maximum) payable as follows:-

In 18 months at no interest, or

In 60 months at Prime Interest Rate less 0.5%, or

In 180 months at Prime Interest Rate.

Power more than 35kW (100 Amps Three Phase and more).

Upfront payment = 10% + (10% of the Total Quote as VAT)

Example: Total Quote = P9, 000.00

Upfront payment (10% of P9, 000.00) = P900.00

VAT (10% of P9, 000.00) = P900.00

Total Deposit = P1, 800.00

Balance 90% (Maximum) payable as follows:-

In 12 months at no interest, or

In 60 months at Prime Interest Rate less 0.25%, or

In 120 months at Prime Interest Rate

CONNECTION PAYMENT TERMS

SECURITY DEPOSITS

Service Amount

Single Phase 60 Amp Domestic P400.00

Three Phase 60 Amp Domestic. P700.00

60Amp Single Phase non-domestic P900.00

60Amp Three Phase non-domestic P1870.00

Above 60Amp Three Phase P90.00/Amp

Every applicant shall pay a deposit with the Corporation a sum of

money on the basis of the cost of the maximum consumption

of electricity likely to be used in two Consecutive months

CHALLENGES

•High capital costs vs. low investment

•Electrified villages are below IRR of 6% set as a

condition for electrification

•Sparsely populated villages makes electrification

expensive

•High connection costs

•Average of US$1000.00

•Inappropriate technology

•Opportunity to utilise SWER not fully explored

•Low consumption rates

GENDER ISSUES IN ENERGY

SECTOR

•Most rural households are dependant on

fuelwood

•Women collect on head-loads, men collect on

wheel-burrows or donkey carts

•Majority of rural households are female

headed

•Households use multiple fuels (wood, LPG,

paraffin, candles)

•Electricity is used by 10% of households –

mostly male-headed

GENDER ISSUES IN ELECTRICITY

•Policy influence by Government – Draft Energy

Policy included a Gender objective

•Gender mainstreaming in electricity projects –

appropriate strategy to market electrification

•Gender mainstreaming objective – ‘To ensure

that electricity needs of both men and women are

included in planning and implementation of the

rural electrification programme’

OPPORTUNITIES FOR WOMEN

INVOLVEMENT IN GRID INTENSIFICATION

•Women constitute over two thirds of informal

sector businesses – private households, hotels,

restaurants, wholesale

•Women participate at the same level as men in

village development decisions at community

gatherings

•Girls constitute 70% at Tertiary schools –

Encouraged to engage in electricity careers

HOW DOES BPC INVOLVE WOMEN?

•Collaborating with Government on reducing

connection costs for increased access by female-headed

households – maybe use SWER etc.

•Implementing agency for Gender mainstreaming

project in rural electrification – Supported by

ENERGIA (establishing specific male and female

electricity needs and requirements in a household)

•Participating in the drafting and finalisation of the

National Energy Policy – to ensure all electricity issues

are addressed.

Munto Abrigado