TWO PROCUREMENT OPPORTUNITIES ESERA BIOMASS PROJECT IDENTIFIED

MBABANE – Eswatini currently imports the bulk of its electricity supply from neighbouring Eskom, Electricidade de Moçambique and the South African Power Pool to meet its electricity demand.

Due to increased uncertainty in the security of supply and increasing tariffs in the Southern African region, the Government through the Energy Regulator Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority (ESERA) has initiated a procurement programme. The aim of the programme is to reduce the country’s reliance on imported electricity by encouraging the development of local power generation capacity for national grid purposes. ESERA is requesting proposals for the procurement of a Solar photovoltaic (PV) (circa 40 MW) and Biomass (circa 40 MW).

Worth noting, the above procurements are being undertaken in line with the Electricity Act, 2007 which mandates the ESERA to procure generation capacity in close cooperation with the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources. ESERA said respondents were expected to demonstrate their ability and experience in successfully developing Build Own Operate (BOO) power projects within the last 10 years.

The respondents are to specify capacity (MW) of renewable energy projects (Wind or Solar PV) that have reached financial close at utility scale. “Respondents are expected to have a team with the required combination on expertise and experience including Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC); financial expertise and environmental specialist also indicate their interest as high, medium or low,” ESERA said.

ESERA said this Expression of Interest (REOI) has been issued in an effort to assist them gain a better understanding of the wind resource availability as well as to assess the market’s readiness to develop Independent Power Producer (IPP) projects for wind energy in Eswatini. They said information on wind resource availability in Eswatini is limited to non-bankable studies conducted in times past including some information in the Energy Master Plan 2034.

“Information availed through this REOI may be used by the Regulator to refine elements of the Request for Qualifications in relation to wind power procurement wherein an international open tendering competitive bidding process will be used to mobilize private sector developers to design, engineer, construct, commission, finance, own, operate and maintain Wind Power Plants as IPP under a BOO (Build, Own, Operate) scheme including options for power export,” mentioned ESERA.

 concluded.

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