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MBABANE – Minister of Commerce, Industry and Trade Manqoba Khumalo has urged ESERA to move quicker on the licensing of IPPs.

ESERA is the Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority, while IPPs refers to Independent Power Producers.

Addressing the country’s energy security concerns leading to 2025, Khumalo said the pace at which ESERA was moving in the issuance of licences was too slow, which did not take into consideration the critical nature of the country’s position in terms of energy security. He said private sector investments were to be affected by the uncertainty.

“There are many players in the private sector, who I have been informed, are willing to participate in the country’s attainment of renewable energy sources. I do not understand why ESERA can limit itself to contracts worth only 80MW, given the urgency of the situation,” he said.

Asked to respond to the assertion by the minister, ESERA Chief Legal Counsel Felix Matsebula, said the slow pace in the awarding of contracts was a result of technologies available on the market, and that all production had to be compatible with Eswatini Electricity Company’s (EEC) grid, meaning production had to be systematical and undertaken in stages.

Biomass

“We can easily increase production with biomass, but the problem is there would be a shortage of fuel, which may need to be imported. We are looking at the viability of that option,” he said.

Khumalo said the country looked to be stuck somewhere on the issue of solar energy. He urged ESERA to open up the sector and give more licences to private sector players.