THE GABLES SHOPPING CENTRE INVESTS IN SOLAR

MBABANE – As the calls to go solar gain momentum globally, some local entities are heeding it and are investing in solar energy.

The Gables (PTY) Ltd in Ezulwini, incorporated under the laws of the Kingdom of Eswatini, has applied to the Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority (ESERA) for a generation licence for a proposed 1.35 Mega Watt (MW) roof top-mounted solar photovoltaics (PV) plant for commercial use. This is in line with Section 4 of the Electricity Licensing ByLaws of 2016. The said project or activities shall be undertaken at The Gables Shopping centre, MR 103 Road, Ezulwini. This is according to a public notice issued by ESERA last week, inviting any objections towards this proposed project. Efforts to get a comment from the management of the shopping centre proved futile as the management had not responded to a questionnaire sent to them by the time of compiling this report.

Generation

The shopping centre joins several other local entities that have invested in solar generation. One of them is OK Foods. OK Foods Eswatini Managing Director (MD) Lincoln Motsa told the media last year that they had taken a step towards investing in solar energy. He said the main aim was to cut electricity costs, and to also reduce the consumption burden. Ok Foods has mounted solar panels in some of its outlets, including the Ngwane Park and Mbabane outlets. Meanwhile, in a move to promote sustainability, the Government of Eswatini, in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has constructed a gigantic one-megawatt solar plant at the RFM Hospital. The solar power plant will assist the hospital save power costs by 80 per cent to provide more services at one of Eswatini’s largest healthcare facilities. Through the two aforementioned partners, the project was funded by the Italian Government.

According to initial reports, the project cost US$2.17 million (E38.6 million), meaning the RFM Hospital would cut the energy bill by US$176 714 (E3.1 million) per year. Started in 2020 and commissioned in early 2023, the RFM project will serve as a national showcase, demonstrating the benefits of such a transition which would be replicated in other public and private institutions nationwide.

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