Maun, Botswana – The city of Maun in Botswana on Thursday hosted the groundbreaking ceremony for a 500MW photovoltaic solar power plant, integrated with a 500MW battery energy storage system, under an investment partnership between Oman and Botswana.

The project follows a meeting between His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik and President Duma Gideon Boko of Botswana held on Monday at Al Barakah Palace, reflecting swift implementation of investment agreements signed between the two countries.

The event was attended by President Boko, Abdulsalam bin Mohammed Al Murshidi, President of Oman Investment Authority (OIA), and several officials from both countries.

The Maun solar project is being implemented by O-Green, a subsidiary of OIA, in partnership with Botswana Power Corporation. The initiative is part of O-Green’s strategy to expand globally through the development of integrated renewable energy projects combining power generation, storage technologies and supporting infrastructure.

It marks the first project to enter the implementation phase under the Oman-Botswana energy partnership, which aims to develop renewable energy projects of 3,000MW total capacity.

Mustafa bin Mohammed Al Hinai, CEO of O-Green, said the groundbreaking reflects the company’s commitment to delivering projects in line with the agreements signed with partners in Botswana. He noted that the project will be implemented in stages to support the national electricity grid.

Al Hinai added that the initiative will lay the foundation for an integrated energy platform supporting Botswana’s ambition to become a regional energy trading hub, while opening new opportunities for sustainable economic growth through renewable energy and round-the-clock storage systems.

Once completed, the plant is expected to more than double Botswana’s current power generation capacity. The battery energy storage system will also enhance grid stability and support peak load management, ensuring a reliable supply of clean energy.

The agreements signed in Muscat between Oman and Botswana covered several sectors, including mineral exploration, oil product storage infrastructure and renewable energy – a memorandum of cooperation between OQ Group and Botswana Oil Limited to explore opportunities in fuel security and infrastructure development and a cooperation agreement between Oman Mining Development Company and Botswana’s Exploration Investment Company in the field of mining exploration, besides the agreement between O-Green and Botswana Power Corporation for the solar project.