In Swaziland, a new report estimates that energy produced from bagasse could meet half of the country’s electricity demand. The Swaziland Renewables Readiness Assessment recommends the country undertake various measures to support the implementation of renewable energy including: extending existing tax credits to the sugar industry to incentivize investment in more efficient equipment for bagasse-based power generation; conducting a detailed assessment of the economic potential of bagasse and solar resources; creating an enabling environment for renewable energy independent power producers; and developing a comprehensive grid code, amongst other recommendations.
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.
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