Finally its Possible: The Grid Code is here . . .

On the 9th December 2010, the CEB has launched its project known as SSDG standing for Small Scale Distributed Generation based on the Grid Code.  It will buy electricity generated from Renewable Sources by Residential customers or other categories.   The project is limited to 200 installations or 2MW capacity, where 1MW is reserved for Residential producers.  The feed in Tariff for the first fifteen years is as shown below per kWh:

               Table A    Table B
Micro      Rs 25      Rs 21.25
Mini        Rs 20      Rs  17.00
Small       Rs  15     Rs  12.75


The project deserves a much better coverage than it was given on that day by the MBC TV station.  What is missing or considered as the next moves by the government are:

• incentives and financing mechanisms, 
• removal of taxes and customs duties on the equipments required.

The role of the C.E.B

During the last week end of the 2010 Football Worldcup final, the local TV showed that Mauritians could soon sell there excess power generated through renewable sources to the CEB (the national power company) with the coming Grid Code. It was also concluding the one year test it had been conducted.

What we would expect from the CEB now, is that it produces a list of authorised MANUFACTURERS and not SUPPLIERS for the grid-tie inverters and solar panels. As the CEB is the entity which owns the grid it will ensure that the power produced is compliant to its norms and safety regulations. Thus preventing cheap stuff from getting into the market which will not be able to perform upto the requirements or could be dangerous.

Information on the Utility company

The only utility company in Mauritius is the CEB (Central Electricity Board) and supplies electricity to the domestic or residential market at 240 Volts with a frequency of 50Hz. The peak power supplied on its grid in 2008 was 378MW. However the CEB only produces 36.8% and the remaining 63.2% is from the Independent Power Producers (IPPs). 22% of the electricity already comes from the following renewable sources hydro(4%) and sugar cane bagasse(18%). When bagasse from the sugar cane is not available during none harvest periods coal is burnt instead by the IPPs.