SAPP discusses Eswatini’s power independence
MBABANE – The Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) has discussed, among many other related issues, the power independence for the Kingdom of Eswatini.
,n a meeting that commenced early in the week and concluded today, the regional power supply body saw country representatives convening in the kingdom to discuss the issues of power capacity in the region.
7he Southern African 3ower 3ool is a co operation of the national elec tricity companies in Southern Africa, under the auspices of the Southern African 'evelopment &ommunity SA'& .
Countries
7he members of SA33 have created a common power grid between their countries and a common market for electricity in the SA'& region.
3OO/ &hairperson /uis 5aimundo *anMe from MozambiTue shared that discussions fell around the issues of critical proMects that have to be implemented in terms of intercon nections.
+e said they touched on the issue of interconnecting Angola, because they had a surplus of power capacity, but they were not yet able to trade in the market because they were not interconnected and that discussion was very critical.
+e mentioned that 7anzania also had a similar challenge in that they were not interconnected yet they had a surplus of power, which could help in eradicating the challenge faced by the region in terms of power supply.
,n the conte[t of (swatini, he said they were discussing the issue of security of supply, which was critical for the kingdom, as the country was getting a high percentage of its power from the region.
Requirements
³,t is very important that the market becomes stable and reliable with a good capacity to be able to meet (swatini and other countries’ reTuire ments,´ he said.
+e mentioned that the medium to long term discussions were centred on proMects that could reinforce in dependence of (swatini in terms of its ability to generate some of its capacity, without relying fully on the regional market.
(swatini (lectricity &ompany ((& Managing 'irector (rnest Mkhonta said they were busy with planning to increase generation ca pacity within the country.
+e pointed out that they had e[ plored the hydro potential in Maguga and were currently in the process of developing (3& documents to invite those interested in the procurement and construction of the power supply.
Mkhonta mentioned that they had a potential for at least ten megawatts at Maguga.
Independent
Mkhonta further revealed that they were working on another proMect, with an independent power producer that could generate 1 .5 megawatts at lower Maguduza, which is down stream of Maguduza 3ower Station on the 8suthu basin.
³:e are further looking at devel oping a coal thermal power station that will provide us with a base load, which is much needed by the country. 7hese proMects are under development and we will begin construction once we finish the financial clause,´ he said.
Mkhonta also mentioned that there were other proMects that were being procured by the regulatory authority and would be integrated into the ener gy base, including solar and biomass.
³:e also have a power purchas ing agreement with 8bombo Sugar /imited, which supplies us with electricity from biomass sources,´ said Mkhonta.
7he M' shared that the proMects if one calculates, would in five years’ time complete the current demand.