Electricity in Mauritius

The Central Electricity Board (CEB) is the responsible body for the production and distribution of energy on the island under the Ministry of Renewable Energy and Public Utilities. While the CEB (with the head office in Curepipe) produces about 40% of the total energy source in Mauritius, the rest is obtained from Independent Power Producers mainly via sugar estates. The general electricity per capita per year in Mauritius is about 750 kW/h. Energy is produced by thermal means (80%), water, and bagasse (both accounting for the remaining 20%) from small sugar estates.

There are 8 hydro electric power plants scattered mostly in the southern part the island with a total capacity of 59 MW. They are the Champagne Plant (with a capacity of 30 MW), the Ferney Plant (10 MW), the Tamarind Falls Plant (11.1 MW), Le Val Plant (4MW), La Ferme Plant (1.2 MW), the Reduit Plant (1.2 MW), the Cascade Cecile Plant (1MW) and the Magenta Plant (0.94 MW). Because of seasonal fluctuations in water supply throughout the year, the power plants cannot operate at full capacity and are thus not as reliable as thermal plants though they are cheap to maintain and produce relatively clean energy.

Thermal energy is produced in thermal plants all located in Port Louis; while Fort Victoria, Fort George and St Louis use diesel, the Nicolay Plant uses gas and coal to make electricity. The amount of energy produced by the thermal plants is about 324 MW. The hydro electric power plants at Champagne and Tamarind Falls (based on climatic conditions) also use gas to produce energy and with the Nicolay plant, the three amount to 85 MW. The sugar industry power plants produce around 254 MW of electricity from the FUEL Steam and Power Generation Co Ltd (36.7 MW), Consolidated Energy Ltd (28.4 MW), Compagnie Thermique de Belle Vue Ltee (71.2 MW), Compagnie Thermique du Sud Ltee (34.5 MW) and Compagnie Thermique de Savannah Ltee (83 MW).

Based on the revised tariff of 2010, new tariffs of electricity are as follows for domestic use: Rs3.16 per kW/h for the initial 25 kW/h, Rs4.38 for the next 25 kW/h, Rs4.74 for the next 25 kW/h, Rs5.45 for the next 25 kW/h, Rs6.15 for the next 100 kW/h, Rs7.02 for the next 50 kW/h, Rs7.90 for the next 50 kW/h and Rs8.77 for all additional kW/h. While bills vary according to the amount of energy used, minimum charges are at Rs44 for those connected to a load of less than 300 watts, Rs184 for those with a load of 301 to 5000 watts and Rs369 for those with a load above 5000 watts.

More information on the cost of electricity for commercial uses, industries, sugar factories, street lights and irrigation can be obtained from the CEB site at http://ceb.intnet.mu/. Payments can be made at the local offices found in all the major towns in Mauritius, the post offices or by direct debit.