The 600MW Challenge: Can Mauritius Avoid Power Cuts?

The nation’s electricity network is on the brink of collapse, with authorities warning that power cuts are an imminent possibility this summer as a looming surge in demand threatens to overwhelm the system. The Central Electricity Board (CEB) is pleading for public and private sector cooperation to avert a major crisis, just months after the country narrowly avoided a total breakdown with the help of hotels.

The production of electricity is under critical pressure, according to the CEB.

At a recent workshop organised by the Energy Transition Entrepreneurs’ Club and Business Mauritius, Senior Engineer Damodur Doseeah explained that if demand exceeds generation capacity, it places immense stress on the grid’s motors, which could lead to a black-out.

The threat of “load shedding” now hangs over homes, offices, factories, and hotels, a direct result of a spike in electricity consumption.

This unprecedented rise in demand is primarily due to the increased use of air conditioning, a trend driven by the effects of climate change.

The CEB has recorded a 43MW jump in demand this year, from 525.3MW to 567.9MW. For the first time, a consumption peak was recorded at 9 PM, indicating the growing use of air conditioners late into the evening.

This trend is particularly concerning because the maximum demand period now stretches for three to six hours, sometimes lasting until 11 PM. A decade ago, the peak consumption period was only 30 minutes.

This extended “Critical Period” from 6 PM to 9:30 PM places the grid’s motors under constant stress.

The fragility of the system was starkly demonstrated in April, when a general breakdown was narrowly averted. On April 21st, with one motor under maintenance, another large motor failed, reducing the network’s capacity to 495MW.

The following day, demand exceeded 500MW, pushing the grid to its limits. In response, the CEB urgently contacted its largest clients, including hotels, which injected between 11MW and 21.9MW into the system over four days.

Despite this intervention, the network still lacked capacity, and the CEB was forced to impose 30-minute power cuts each evening for four days between 6 PM and 9:30 PM, according to Maheshwur Dayal from the CEB.

The situation was described as “Quite Hectic,” with the loss of a further 20MW motor pushing the system into the “red zone.”

According to the EEMO (Energy Efficiency Management Office) and Business Mauritius, the crisis is a “failure to plan,” with a “significant delay in the development of renewable energies.”

Khalil Elahee of the EEMO pointed out that despite ambitions for 60% renewables by 2035, the current share is just 1%.

The country’s current capacity stands at 765MW in the day and 660MW at night. The largest CEB motor is only 37MW, leaving no margin for error or for unforeseen breakdowns.

With a new power plant taking four to five years to build, the CEB is considering temporary solutions like mobile gas generators or a “Power Barge.”

However, officials state that the true solution lies in a change in behaviour from the public. “We want to keep the lights on in this country and we need your support,” a CEB official pleaded. The upcoming summer, with demand expected to reach 600MW, will be a major test.

Source: Le Mauricien