A new report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Swaziland Renewables Readiness Assessment, says the development of Swaziland renewable energy resources could provide substantial socio-economic benefits for its population. In particular, estimates of the country’s bagasse, a by-product of the local sugar industry, could meet 50% of all domestic electricity demand; with solar contributing substantially to the remaining demand. More than 76% of Swaziland’s current electricity supply comes from imports, predominantly from South Africa. Electricity import tariffs in Swaziland doubled between 2009 and 2012 and are expected to continue this upward trend. This, combined with the falling cost of renewable energy technologies, makes renewable energy more cost competitive in Swaziland than ever before IRENA said. “Renewable energy is no longer just the best choice socially and environmentally, it is also the best choice economically for many countries in many parts of the world,” said IRENA Director-General Adnan Z. Amin. “It has never been cheaper for Swaziland to reduce its electricity costs, increase its energy independence and improve energy access through the rapid deployment of renewable energy.” Swaziland forms a key link in the Africa Clean Energy Corridor, IRENA’s initiative to meet Eastern and Southern Africa’s growing power needs sustainably and with a high share of renewables. As Swaziland is interconnected with Mozambique and South Africa, it could potentially use this existing infrastructure to develop more renewable energy than is needed for the country and sell its surplus power, moving it from an electricity importer to an electricity exporter.
