Sandfire Resources is deepening its push toward lower-carbon mining with the construction of a 21 megawatt solar power plant at its Motheo Copper Mine in Botswana’s Kalahari Copper Belt, as the company moves to reduce operating costs and improve energy security.
The project is being delivered through Sandfire’s Botswana subsidiary, Tshukudu Metals, in partnership with Release, a renewable energy platform backed by Norwegian group Scatec ASA. Once completed, the plant is expected to generate approximately 40 gigawatt hours of electricity annually, supplying around 30 per cent of Motheo’s total power demand.
Construction commenced in February 2026, with commercial operations targeted before year-end. The installation is designed to reduce reliance on diesel generation and mitigate grid constraints in the Gantsi region, while lowering the mine’s carbon intensity.
A key feature of the development is its lease-to-own financing structure, which enables Sandfire to deploy large-scale solar infrastructure without significant upfront capital expenditure. The model incorporates redeployable solar photovoltaic and battery systems, offering flexibility while supporting the mine’s long-term decarbonisation goals.
The Botswana Energy Regulatory Authority has approved the project, and discussions with Botswana Power Corporation are under way regarding potential future renewable integration.
The solar investment coincides with Motheo nearing full commissioning, with equipment installation more than 92 per cent complete to support an initial processing capacity of 3.2 million tonnes per annum.
With copper prices holding above US$8,000 per tonne and the Kalahari Copper Belt still relatively underexplored, Sandfire’s renewable integration signals confidence in Botswana’s emerging copper sector and highlights how new mining projects are embedding sustainability into their operating models from the outset.