MBABANE – The Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy has reported significant strides in the country’s energy sector, with several power generation projects edging closer to implementation.
Minister for Natural Resources and Energy Prince Lonkhokhela recently presented his ministry’s first quarter report, highlighting progress made under the Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority (ESERA), particularly in advancing solar and biomass initiatives aimed at reducing energy imports and boosting local generation capacity.
Prince Lonkhokhela revealed that all Independent Power Producer (IPP) bidders for the upcoming solar and biomass projects have now appointed lenders and are finalising contracts with their engineering and procurement contractors (EPCs).
“There were unplanned delays relating to the acquisition of land parcels; however, these have been resolved and no further delays are envisaged,” he said. To fast-track delivery, the minister personally engaged senior executives of the IPPs, emphasising government’s commitment to ensuring the projects move swiftly to financial close and into construction.
Highlighting local progress, the minister noted that Ubombo Sugar Limited has secured funding from Standard Bank to expand its biomass generation capacity to 40MW, with the project now at the design finalisation stage. Similarly, Eswatini Royal Sugar Corporation (RESCorp) has been granted an increased allocation to produce 50MW of baseload power, up from the original 27MW.
“These projects represent a critical step towards diversifying our energy mix and ensuring sustainable power supply from local sources,” Prince Lonkhokhela said.
The first of the country’s major IPP solar projects is scheduled to launch at Nduma in the coming weeks, delivering 20MW to the national grid. This follows the resolution of land allocation issues and the completion of technical designs.
“We thank His Majesty King Mswati III for the allocation of the land for the project,” the minister said, adding that similar initiatives are lined up across the country. “We will proceed to Ndzevane to launch a 15MW project, followed by Nsoko (10MW), Ngwenya (20MW), and Bhalekane (20MW) in succession as they reach financial close.”
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