MONTIGNY PIONEERING RENEWABLE ENERGY GOALS

MBABANE – Montigny Investments has made significant strides towards commencing its 40 megawatts (MW) renewable energy that will see the country gaining momentum towards running on 100 per cent renewable energy.

In an interview with this publication, Montigny Investments Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Andrew Le Roux said the company is working tirelessly to make a significant contribution to the nation’s ambitions towards renewable energy. Le Roux said it is imperative for the country to have sufficient renewable energy to produce its goods. The CEO said from 2027, the country’s exports to the United States of America (USA) and European Union (EU) will become limited if it is not produced using renewable energy.

“We are going to be penalised,” said Le Roux. The CEO shared the progress towards the company’s proposed renewable energy project. Le Roux said they have completed their feasibility study, as their application was submitted at the end of last year to the regulator, the Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority (ESERA). He said they have been engaging with the regulator on some regulatory requirements and tariffs, and final discussions in this regard have been held.

Bid

He said they are now waiting for their bid approval from ESERA, giving the preferred bidder. “But we are under pressure as we got until the end of this month to get our bid. If we do get that, we can then be able to get into our full financing and EEC contract. We shall then be able to reach financial close by next year, September,” he said. Le Roux said Eswatini has the potential to run on 100 per cent renewables by harnessing the vast local resources available. Last year, the CEO highlighted that Elèctricitè de France (EDF) was shortlisted in the ESERA Biomass RFQ bidding round of 40MW of renewable electricity. Le Roux said Montigny Investments was in partnership with EDF on the project. He said the project is currently undergoing various feasibility studies, with the aim to submit a final bid in the final quarter of 2023.

According to the Montigny Group CEO, timber biomass and residue will be used to generate electricity. “All of this will be sourced from Montigny’s current operations,” said Le Roux.
He assured the nation that the project is carried out to the highest environmental standards, with oversight provision by the Eswatini Environment Authority (EEA). He further said Montigny is fully certified by the Forestry Stewardship Council.

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