The Kingdom of Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, has began the procurement process for 40 MW of PV capacity. The projects, which will be assigned by 2020, will also include 40 MW of biomass. The new capacity will make the kingdom less dependent on power imports from South African utility Eskom, Contact online >>
The Kingdom of Eswatini, formerly known as Swaziland, has began the procurement process for 40 MW of PV capacity. The projects, which will be assigned by 2020, will also include 40 MW of biomass. The new capacity will make the kingdom less dependent on power imports from South African utility Eskom, which currently faces a financial and operational crisis.
The Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority (ESERA) has begun the process of procuring new generating capacity from independent power producers, with the support of Eswatini''s Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy (MNRE).
The authority now seeks to create a database of parties who may be interested in participating in the development of 40 MW of solar by 2020 and 40 MW of biomass by 2021. The projects, which will be part of the MNRE'' recently released Short-Term Generation Expansion Plan, will be designed to reduce the country''s dependence on power imports from troubled South African utility Eskom, which is currently grappling with a financial and operational crisis.
"Due to the constraints faced by Eskom and the expected significant tariff increases from Eskom, the reliance by Eswatini on electricity imports from South Africa is no longer secured,” the ESERA said in the document.
Formerly known as Swaziland, the Kingdom of Eswatini issued its first utility-scale solar tender in June. It aims to increase the share of renewables in the country''s electricity mix to 50% by 2030. The current installed capacity of Eswatini Electricity Co. (EEC), a state-owned utility formerly known as Swaziland Electricity Co. (SEC), is only around 60 MW, which is enough to cover just 10% of the kingdom''s electricity demand. The vast majority of the electricity the small country consumes comes from Mozambique and South Africa, via the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).
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With an initial capacity of 100 MW, the plant will supply more than 100 million kWh a year to countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region, helping to reduce load shedding by providing much needed power at peak times.
Frazium Energy – part of the Australian-German Frazer Solar group – has signed a 40-year contract with the government of the Southern African kingdom of Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland) for a €100 million ($115 million) solar battery project.
The mega solar-storage project, which will be located at the Edwaleni Power Station in the central town of Matsapha, will have an initial capacity of 100 MW and supply more than 100 million kWh a year to countries in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
The solar farm, which will comprise 75,000 panels covering 45 hectares on a site totaling 54 hectares, is expected to help reduce load shedding in South Africa and other neighboring SADC states by providing much needed power at peak times.
"We are so grateful to the government of Eswatini for their support, confidence, and belief in ourvision for this project, and we are so excited for the role we can play in Eswatini''s and Africa''s greenenergy future,” said Frazium Energy director Robert Frazer. “We believe in the strength of Eswatini''s future.”
The company intends to invest beyond the €100 million already committed for the solar-storage project in the coming years, Frazer added. “Africa''s largest battery is coming, and it is coming to Eswatini. The future is not just bright, it is solar-powered."
Manqoba Khumalo, Eswatini''s minister of commerce, industry and trade, said: "Frazer Solar has shown again that it is a friend and partner to Eswatini, and a trusted investor and true pioneer in the future of our energy sector. The mega solar-storage project will provide a real and tangible benefit to all Emaswati, both in the creation of at least 200 new jobs, and in the provision of green, solar power, and dispatchable electricity across the Kingdom and beyond."
Frazium Energy chose the Kingdom of Eswatini to host the project after considering 11 countries. The company had planned a similar project in the Kingdom of Lesotho in 2018 but it was canceled following a dispute with the government.
The large-scale solar-storage project follows Frazium Energy''s completion of a solar healthcare project in the Kingdom of Eswatini earlier this year. “Responding to the acute healthcare needs exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the company delivered 92 solar-powered hotwater units to every governmental medical clinic nationwide, providing free hot running water for medical staff and patients'' use,” Frazium Energy stated.
That project was funded by Frazer Solar with assistance from the German Development Finance Institution (DEG), a subsidiary of the KfW development bank, and delivered by Frazium Energy.
What a great thing to happen to Swaziland, I have been asking myself why is Afrika suffering with load shedding when there is so much sunshine. I am very happy to be wake up to positive news for Swaziland.
"We are so grateful to the government of Eswatini for their support, confidence, and belief in ourvision for this project, and we are so excited for the role we can play in Eswatini''s and Africa''s greenenergy future," said Frazium Energy director Robert Frazer. "We believe in the strength of Eswatini''s future."
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