A tender has been opened expressions of interest from private mini-grid developers to designing, building, operating and maintaining a mini-grid in Eswatini.
The Bulimeni Solar PV-Battery mini-grid project will enable household electrification in the 92-household Bulimeni community located in the Shiselweni region of southern Eswatini.
The chosen developer is expected to operate and maintain the mini-grid for 20 years and be responsible for a minimum of 55% of the capital expenditure required to develop the project.
The Africa Minigrids Program (AMP) Eswatini project is one of 21 AMP projects currently being implemented in an equal number of African countries. ESERA will partially finance the development through a grant from the Global Environment Facility. The closing date for registration is August 23.
Eswatini had deployed a total of 11 MW of solar energy by the end of 2023, according to figures from tThe International Renewable Energy Agency.
Mini-grids are still in the “nascent stage” in Eswatini, according to the tender document. The country currently has one mini-grid, a 35 kW and 200 kWh solar system that supplies electricity to 21 houses and two churches in the remote village of Mvundla, located in the Manzini region in the west of the country.
This content is copyrighted and may not be reused. If you would like to collaborate with us and reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.