Electrical power in Swaziland is supplied by the Swaziland Electricity Board (SEB). Although, Swaziland possesses coal reserves of 2 020 million metric tonnes, power generation is based mainly on hydro and diesel generation. The country's power generating facilities possess a working capacity of 50 megawatts, This accounts for on average only 20 percent of Swaziland's electricity.
An interconnection link has been established with South Africa since 1973, and through this, Swaziland currently imports 80 percent of its electricity from South Africa though South Africa's power utility, Eskom. Of note, Swaziland imported 821.4 million kWh from South Africa.
In February 2000 SEB joined the Southern African Power Pool. As a full member Swaziland is able to freely purchase power whenever prices are reasonable within the Power Pool, without being restricted to one supplier, as was the case previously.
Swaziland has been involved in a joint venture project with South Africa. The Swaziland Komati Project Enterprise is a power project that is located in the Komati River Basin and it entails construction of two dams within Swaziland and South Africa for the purposes of hydroelectric power and establishing agricultural projects.
A 400kV line running across Swaziland and Arnot via Barberton and Komatiport to Mozal in Mozambique became operational in 2000. The line is co-owned by a company called Mozambique Transmission Company (Montraco), a joint venture between EDM, Eskom and SEB. The Montraco 400kV lines make allowances for the SEB to trade in the Southern African Power Pool and source future bulk supplies from other utilities in the SADC Region in addition to Eskom.
Other major projects underway include the construction of power stations at Maguga Dam, a Systems Losses Scheme aimed at addressing power losses and a feasibility study on the Bagasse Power Station, which will increase the production of local electricity in Swaziland, ultimately reducing the country’s imports from South Africa. The construction of a thermal power station at Mpaka, with the installed capacity of 1,000 megawatts, is in the process of being planned.
