eSwatini issues RFQ for 40MW Solar PV Tender

• The government of eSwatini has announced a request for qualification for a total of 40MW solar PV capacity as the First Tranche Procurement Programme.
• 40MW of biomass capacity will developed via the Second Tranche Procurement Programme at a later stage.
• The new generation capacity will be procured by the Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority (ESERA), in co-operation with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy (MNRE) through a competitive tendering process.  

The Kingdom of eSwatini (formerly Swaziland) is small landlocked country located in Southern Africa with a population of just over 1.3 million. eSwatini’s total energy consumption is around 280MW per annum. The country imports the bulk of its electricity supply from Eskom in South Africa to meet its electricity demand.

According to the World Bank/Trade Economics, 65.79 % of the population has access to electricity.

The eSwatini Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy (MNRE) is tasked with increasing the country’s energy resilience by reducing the country’s reliance on imported electricity and, in particular, by the development of local renewable energy projects. Furthermore, the ministry is committed to encouraging private sector participation in the energy sector.

The new generation capacity identified for development under the Short-term Generation Expansion Plan (“SGEP”) comprises:

• Solar photovoltaic (“PV”) (circa 40 MW) – to be developed via the First Tranche Procurement Programme
• Biomass (circa 40 MW) – to be developed via the Second Tranche Procurement Programme

The RFQ shows timelines for the procurement process starting with the RFQ launch on the 7^th June 2019 and final project signoff on 20^th November 2020.  Commercial operation date for the solar PV projects is envisaged to be 17 Sep 2021.

The capacity for each project shall range between 5-15 MW and each project shall utilise proven ground mounted solar PV technology. At this RFQ stage, each application can include up to four (4) projects in different locations.

Link to the full RFQ document here

Author: GBA News Desk