Swaziland can reach for 100% renewable energy - report

May 5, 2014 - Swaziland could become the first member state of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to be using 100% renewable energy, according to the managing director of the Royal Swaziland Sugar Association (RSSC).

For the purpose, the forestry and sugar cane industries of the small African country should collaborate on formulating a method to produce renewable energy, RSSC’s Nick Jackson said as cited by the Times of Swaziland on Monday. The association has embraced ethanol production and is now considering other ways of generating clean energy, he noted.

Two local companies, namely Services Global L (SGL) Power Swaziland PTY Ltd and T-Colle Investments, have already filed with the Swaziland Energy Regulatory Authority (SERA) for a trading licence to build renewable energy projects. T-Colle plans to construct a 360-kW hydropower plant (HPP) at Dwaleni’s Ferreira Canal in the Manzini region for an estimated capital cost of SZL 5 million (USD 476,500/EUR 343,400).

On the other hand, SGL Power will be ready by September 2014 to supply to Swaziland Electricity Company (SEC) solar power at SZL 1.20 per MWh under a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA), according to the report. The price will be increasing each year and is seen to reach SZL 1.75 in the sixth year. SGL’s generation capacity is expected to reach 100 MW.

(SZL 10 = USD 0.953/EUR 0.687)

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