PRODUCTION OVERVIEW

Mauritius has a nominal installed capacity of 876.76 MW, out of which 498.47 MW are from CEB generating units and the remaining 378.29 MW are from Independent Power Producers, Medium Scale Distributed Generators and Small Scale Distributed Generators.

In 2018, the total energy generated amounted to 2,827.6 GWh. The CEB produced 1,307.8 GWh, equivalent to 46.25% of the total generation, from its 4 thermal power stations and 10 hydroelectric plants. The remaining 1,519.8 GWh (53.75%) was purchased from private producers (IPPs, MSDG & SSDG).

Where does the bulk of power come from?

The bulk of our energy sources comes from heavy fuel oil and coal. The CEB uses heavy fuel oil for its base load and semi-base load power plants, and kerosene for the gas turbines which are primarily used for peaking periods. The plants of Independent Power Producers (IPPs) use bagasse, a by-product of the sugar industry, as fuel source during the crop season and coal during the off-crop season

Most of CEB’s thermal power stations are located in the vicinity of the Port Area in Port Louis on account of on-shore fuel handling facilities which are readily available for unloading of fuel.

Alternative Sources of Energy

Mauritius has a good solar regime, with a potential average annual solar radiation value of some 6 kWh/m²/day. The wind regime is also very good in some areas, with an annual average speed of 8.1 m/s at 30 m above ground level. However, at present, the exploitation of solar and wind energy is still at the inception stage in Mauritius. Hydropower plants, with a combined installed capacity of 60 MW, contribute to some 4% of the total energy production. The share of bagasse in the energy mix accounts for around 11%.

Environment Monitoring

The monitoring of CEB’s thermal power stations is a continuous exercise and regular ambient air quality, flue gas emissions, noise level, and effluent discharge tests are carried out by independent accredited bodies.