MBABANE - The Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC) has embarked on a project to expand the capacity of the Maguga Hydro Power station and is looking for a contractor for the development and construction of the project.

As part of its Vutsela 2022-27 corporate strategy, the EEC seeks to attain operational excellence and one of the ways to achieve that goal is through increasing local generation, where the Company seeks to pursue development of its own power generation plants and promote, collaborate and support third-party power generation development initiatives to attain an acceptable level of self-sufficiency and security of supply.

EEC is therefore on a mission to expand the capacity of the Maguga Hydro Power station by at least 10MW, which will increase total local generation by 12.5%. A tender document to this effect has been issued with the Eswatini Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (ESPPRA) as well as published in the EEC website with specific details on the required contractor.

During the recent Energy Indaba, the Managing Director, Ernest Mkhonta articulated that the company was exploring ways to improve local generation and to reduce the dependence on foreign suppliers.

Speaking about the Maguga Hydro Power expansion project, the MD stated that a feasibility study was conducted and completed hence this next phase of the project. “We are quite elated that this project is entering its next phase, where we are inviting capable contractors to bring forth their applications to construct the power station. We are excited mainly because we are moving closer to our aspiration which is increasing energy efficiency and security, we well as reducing dependence on foreign suppliers,” he said.

The Maguga Hydropower Expansion is a two-fold project which eventually must increase capacity by 33MW. The second fold of the project is yet to be launched.

After the completion of this project the Maguga Hydro Power Station will be the largest EEC owned station. In total its capacity will sit 53MW. The station which started operating in 2007 currently generates a total capacity of 20MW

BENEFITS OF THE EXPANSION:

- More peak energy will be generated if the project gets developed thereby reducing high import costs.

- Some of the excess water which normally spills during the rainy seasons will now be used to generate power thereby increasing local generation.

- There is a huge potential of utilizing the existing infrastructure, (penstocks, downstream weir, transmission lines, auxiliaries etc.) which will lower the required investment costs.

- Cost of sales will be reduced by reducing peak energy imports.

- The dependency on imported energy will be reduced