Swaziland turns to emergency biofuels development to avoid power blackouts as South African supply shutoff looms

Swaziland and other Southern African nations are turning to the emergency development of power from biofuels to avoid being plunged into darkness, after South African energy supplier Eskom withdrew supply from Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia, and reduced supply to Swaziland because of shortages in South Africa. Eskom has exported 5 percent of its energy regionally.

Swaziland Electricity Company has asked consumers to switch off all unused appliances from 6 a.m to 10 p.m daily. The Swaziland National Energy Policy Project (SNEPP) initiated in August 1999, has failed to address the development of sufficient alternative resources.

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