BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – In an effort to produce sufficient or even abundant energy, Eswatini Government seeks to make use of its available mineral resources for this important task.
Unpacking its 2023 to 2028 ‘Nkwe’ Policy Statement today (Wednesday, October 30, 2024), Government stated that it would use the resources to ensure that there was enough energy security in the country. “Eswatini will urgently employ abundantly available mineral resources to derive affordable baseload energy required for the industrialisation of the country and for energy security,” said part of the statement.
The statement noted that the country was endowed with natural resources, such as minerals and favourable climate conditions. “The country seeks to become a green economy by pursuing renewable energy generation and supply through solar, geothermal and hydropower,” the statement said.
According to the statement, Government targets at producing 190 megawatts (MW) of electricity to meet the domestic household needs, while 1 000 MW is targeted for industrialisation. Clean energy will also be pursued through the supply of gas from friendly neighbouring countries, according to Government.
At the moment, the country heavily relies on neighbouring countries such as South Africa and Mozambique to ensure the availability of energy, as 80 percent of such is imported from these countries. Only about 20 percent of electricity is produced locally, through the hydro power production, with Luphohlo and Maguga Dams being the main dams used for the power production.
