Gaborone, 5-6 July 2017 - In Gaborone, Botswana a Renewable Energy Dialogue between Botswana and Italy took place with the aim to support the Botswana Government in identifying and promoting new investment and technology transfer opportunities in renewable energy sector, in line with the project implemented in collaboration with the Italian Mnistry of Environment, Land and Sea (IMELS).

UNIDO ITPO Italy developes efforts to identify the adequate technologies and know how in the solar industrial chain of production that could support Botswana in achieving the Sustainable Development Goal, number 7^th “Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all”.

A total of eight Italian companies with technologies and key solutions took the challenge to be part of the project and travel to Gaborone, Botswana, this companies are in the following area of the industrial chain of the solar sector: certification and testing (ALBARUBENS); storage systems(FAAM, FZSONICK); Concentrated Solar Power and Capacity building (CONSORTIUM ARCA); Design of Projects with Solar Technologies (CRETA ENERGIE, ENEL, GEA/GEASCO, Offgrid Sun Srl)

As result the Italian companies had the opportunity on the 5^th of July to develop a field visit to the pilot project for Grid Tight Photovoltaic System in Phakalane run by Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) and to a Pilot Project connected to the Grid of 20MW in Mokolodi, to establish dialogue with the Innovation centres of Botswana in Renewable Energy: Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI), Botswana Innovation Hub and with the University of Botswana and finally with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Botswana Power Corporation.

During the 6^thof July the dialogue took place between Botswana and Italy in Renewable Energy were the Italian Companies present their technological solutions to a total of 135 persons in the Gaborone International Convention Centre of Botswana among the Batswana participants where the most important industrial representatives, the head of the private sector associations and the most renamed researcher of Botswana. During the Inauguration we have the participation of honourable Mr. Tshekedi Khama, Ministry of Environment of Botswana and Mr. Francesco La Camera, Director General of the Italian Minister of Environment Land and Sea.

This event is the result of a joining effort between UNIDO ITPO Italy, Business Botswana (BB), Botswana Investment and Trade Center(BITC), Solar Industries Association of Botswana (SIAB) with the support of the Italian Ministry of Environment Land and Sea (IMELS) and of the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism of Botswana.