Electricity in Mauritius in 2021
In 2021, the state of electricity consumption in Mauritius was significantly lower than the global average, with a total of 253.11 watts per person. This is compared to the global average, which sits at 412 watts per person. The majority of this electricity was generated by fossil fuels, accounting for almost 200 watts per person, with coal contributing close to a third of this. Comparatively, low-carbon energy sources played a much smaller role, accounting for only about 53.61 watts per person. Out of these lower-carbon sources, biofuels were the most utilised, generating 29 watts per person, followed by solar, hydro and wind energy. This low level of electricity generation could be contributing to less industrialisation and slower economic growth. It should be noted that Mauritius neither imports nor exports electricity from other countries or regions.
Suggestions
Looking at other countries, Mauritius could increase its low-carbon electricity generation by learning from their successes. Similar to Mauritius in terms of size and resources, Portugal and Denmark generate substantial amounts of electricity from wind energy, at 147 and 369 watts per person, respectively. Australia also offers an interesting example, generating a notable 147 watts per person from solar energy - an opportunity for Mauritius given its sunny climate. Additionally, seeing the high contributions from nuclear energy in countries like Sweden, France, and Finland, Mauritius could explore nuclear energy as a potent low-carbon option to increase its total electricity output and reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
History
The history of low-carbon electricity in Mauritius has seen fluctuations and slow but steady growth over the years. In the early 1980s, hydro power was introduced, though faced an initial decrease before stabilising towards the end of the decade. The 1990s introduced biofuels to the mix, seeing a slight increase but also fluctuations over the decade. In comparison, hydro power saw steady if not spectacular growth in the same period. The trend of slowly growing biofuel electricity generation continued into the 21st century, despite small decreases at certain moments. It wasn't until the end of the 2010s that solar energy was introduced into Mauritius’ energy mix, providing a new avenue for low-carbon electricity generation moving forward.