By EPN Reporter
MBABANE -The production of hydro and solar electricity in the country has increased by 23.5 percent.
According to the 2023 Company Survey Report, the increase in the electricity production has driven the electricity production to record 373.9 GWh in 2022/23 from 302.8 GWh in 2021/22. Hydro power generation rose by 24.8 percent to 352.5 GWh in 2022/23, benefitting from good rains that supported generation for longer periods.
Solar generation, on the other hand, grew by a slower 4.7 percent to record 21.4 GWh during the same period. In line with the good performance of local power generation, total imports for the review period declined by 7.4 percent to 853.7 GWh from 920.6 GWh in the previous period.
Electricity consumption grew by a marginal 0.5 percent to 1 129.4 GWh in the review period, from 1 123.6 GWh in the previous year. On account of slower increase in sales, coupled with a bigger increase in production, the country imported approximately 75 percent of its power in total, with a bulk sourced from SA and the difference from Mozambique.
Prospects for the energy subsector remained relatively positive, according to the report, in line with electricity generation projects earmarked for the short to-medium term. Approximately 50.0 MW is planned for hydro power, 40.0 MW for biomass, and a staggering 300.0 MW on thermal.
