- Eswatini currently has one operational minigrid—a 35 kW, 200 kWh solar system in Mvundla, Manzini region, which serves 21 homes and two churches.
- The country expects the developers to provide at least 15% capital expenditure for the project.
Eswatini has launched a tender to develop a solar minigrid project to electrify the Bulimeni community, which includes 92 households in the Shiselweni region of southern Eswatini.
The tender invites private minigrid developers to design, construct, operate, and maintain the Bulimeni Solar PV-Battery minigrid project for a 20-year operation period. Developers must cover at least 55% of the project’s capital expenditure.
The Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority (ESERA) will partially fund the project with a Global Environment Facility grant under the Africa Minigrids Program (AMP).
The application deadline is August 23, 2024. This initiative is part of the broader AMP effort, which encompasses 21 projects in various African countries to enhance energy access and sustainability through minigrids.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Eswatini’s current solar capacity stood at 11 MW by the end of 2023. Minigrids are still in their early development stages in Eswatini, with only one operational minigrid—a 35 kW, 200 kWh solar system in Mvundla, Manzini region, serving 21 homes and two churches.
Eswatini is investing in renewable energy infrastructure and financing new installations. The government and private sector efforts are focusing on the country’s renewable energy potential, including hydroelectricity, solar power, and biomass.
The government is also promoting energy efficiency measures to reduce energy demand and consumption across residential, public service, industrial, and agricultural sectors. In addition, these efforts aim to secure Eswatini’s energy future and provide significant climate action benefits.
They align with the country’s climate pledge under the Paris Agreement, or Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC), which outlines Eswatini’s strategy to help limit the global average temperature rise to below 1.5°C.