BPC PROMISE NO LOAD SHEDDING DESPITE MORUPULE B’S COLLAPSE
Morupule B 600MW Power Station is facing serious challenges, BPC’s Marketing and Communications Manager, Dineo Seleke has confirmed.
Speaking in an interview following concerns that problems bedeviling the power station might lead to load shedding, Seleke said, “As stakeholders are aware, the Morupule B 600MW power station experiences plant reliability. The current challenges however are not unique, and the Corporation is undertaking the necessary remedial maintenance on the units.”
According to Seleke the plant maintenance exercise has already seen the return to service of the 1st Unit at the end of May 2020 as per schedule while the 2nd and 3rd units are expected back in operation in June and July 2020 respectively.
Further allying fears of load shedding, Seleke said that the long-term remedial works on the 4th unit are at an advanced stage with construction works over 90% complete.
“The unit is expected back in operation after completion of remedial works by September 2020. Notwithstanding Morupule B challenges, the Corporation has measures in place to meet demand over the winter high demand season from its sources of supply, which include power imports from the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) Powering Botswana Towards Prosperity and the Corporation’s diesel-based emergency power facilities with a total capacity of 160MW.”
Morupule B plant, can supply only 70 to 90Mw against the more than 350 Mw national demand.
The BPC mouthpiece however encouraged their customers to continue partnering with BPC in efficient use of electricity throughout the winter season.
Seleke spoke out after a source had claimed that it will take time for the Power Corporation to fix all the collapsed units because of the difficulty in sourcing materials from China because of Covid-19 movement restrictions.
“Yes, Covid 19 has affected us and BPC is now forced to import power from neighbouring countries. It doesn’t come cheap,” said the source that further claimed that BPC was trying to hide that information from the public.
