Release has today signed a seven-year leasing agreement with Tshukudu Metals Botswana, a 100% owned subsidiary of Australia-headquartered Sandfire Resources, for a 21 MW solar power plant at the Motheo Copper Operations in Botswana.
The agreement represents an important milestone in the continued expansion of Release’s mining portfolio in Africa, the company says, while also building on Scatec’s established presence and strong track record in Botswana following the successful commissioning of its 120 MW solar portfolio in the country.
The project will provide clean renewable energy to Sandfire’s copper producing asset at Motheo, and support its decarbonisation ambitions, Release added.
Hans Olav Kvalvaag, CEO of Release, said: “This agreement demonstrates the strength of our lease-to-own solution, where we combine technical expertise with flexible financing to enable our clients to access large-scale solar without upfront capital investment. Bringing this solution to Botswana for the first time and in partnership with mining operation Motheo, is a major milestone for our company.”
Release will now commence project implementation with start of operations expected by the end of 2026. Once operational the plant will generate approximately 40 GWh annually and cover about 30% of Motheo’s annual electricity demand, it claims.
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