AAAS Energy, a Dutch solar development company, has teamed up with US cloud computing firm ChillMine to establish a cutting-edge, solar-powered data centre campus in Botswana.
The two companies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to create a world-class facility tailored to support AI computing, global hyperscalers, and energy-intensive cloud operations.
The planned data centre is designed to serve large-scale cloud providers who require substantial low-cost power to operate efficiently. Located at the Leupane Energy Hub near Palpye in eastern Botswana, the project is part of a broader energy initiative. AAAS Energy previously signed an agreement with Botala Energy to develop the energy hub, which aims to generate up to 250MW of solar power complemented by 100MW to 400MW of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS). The energy hub is capable of accommodating up to 500MW of solar generation and 200MW of gas-fired power, with plans to sell power within the Southern African Power Pool.
Brian Neirby, CEO of ChillMine, expressed enthusiasm about the partnership, highlighting that combining Botswana’s developing energy infrastructure with ChillMine’s operational expertise will enable the creation of a high-performance data centre capable of meeting the demands of sophisticated global technology users. Maarten Mennes, managing director of AAAS, underscored that this MoU aligns with the company’s vision of integrating sustainable energy projects with the digital economy. He noted that leveraging solar power and natural gas resources in Botswana offers a compelling value proposition for international tech companies looking to expand into Africa.
ChillMine has been actively pursuing data centre projects across Africa. In April, the company signed an MoU with Zimbabwean independent power producer Energywise to develop solar-powered data centres in Zimbabwe, utilizing power from Energywise’s planned 100MW Runde River Solar Park.
Based in Amsterdam, AAAS Energy specializes in developing solar parks across Sub-Saharan Africa, with existing projects in Botswana, Zimbabwe, and Uganda. The collaboration in Botswana marks a significant step toward integrating renewable energy with advanced digital infrastructure in the region, aiming to support the growing demand for sustainable and reliable cloud computing services across Africa.
