The five-year Eswatini Geothermal Energy Development Project will establish geothermal energy as a viable source of indigenous, renewable baseload power. Led by Eswatini Electricity Company, it will undertake exploratory drilling and feasibility work, train 50 engineers and technicians, establish regulatory and quality-assurance frameworks, and construct a grid-connected 5–10 MW pilot plant. Eswatini currently has about 71 MW of domestic generation against demand of 252 MW and imports more than half of its electricity, exposing the country to supply disruption, price volatility and fossil-fuel emissions. Detailed surface investigations have identified geothermal prospects at Mvutshini-Lobamba, Mkhoba and Lubombo-Siteki, with drilling targets defined. The pilot will demonstrate commercial viability, reduce import dependence, stabilise electricity costs and create a pathway to scale geothermal generation to 50 MW by 2035.
Project overview
Investment opportunity
Investment types sought
Grant Funding; Blended Finance; Concessional Finance; Development Finance; Guarantees; Risk-Sharing Instruments; Private Sector Investment
Project status
Development stage
Structuring & preparation
Additional project information
- Lead agency
- Eswatini Electricity Company (EEC), in coordination with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Energy
Expected impact
300
Jobs created / supported
Economic & development benefits
- The project will improve energy security by adding 5–10 MW of reliable domestic baseload power, reducing exposure to imported electricity, supply disruptions and price volatility
- More stable power and tariffs will support households, businesses, public services and industrial growth nationwide, while communities in the Lubombo and Hhohho regions will benefit from local employment and economic activity
- The programme will train and certify 50 engineers and technicians, strengthen EEC and regulatory capacity, and create opportunities for SMEs, service providers and investors in drilling, construction, operations and geothermal supply chains
- The pilot will demonstrate commercial viability and establish financing and enterprise models for expansion to 50 MW by 2035, generating wider employment, investment and potential regional power-trade benefits
Climate & resilience benefits
- In the short term, resource assessment, exploratory drilling and feasibility studies will establish whether Eswatini’s geothermal resources can support low-carbon baseload generation
- The 5–10 MW pilot plant will displace part of the imported fossil-fuel-based electricity supply, reducing greenhouse-gas emissions and supporting the country’s NDC 3.0 target
- In the long term, scaling geothermal generation towards 50 MW by 2035 will diversify the electricity mix, reduce import dependence and improve resilience to regional power shortages, fuel-price volatility and climate-related hydropower variability
- Unlike weather-dependent renewables, geothermal can provide continuous power, complementing solar and hydropower
- Local technical capacity, regulatory systems and blended-finance pathways will strengthen long-term operational and institutional resilience
Contact
Contact team
For more information about this project, please contact the Commonwealth Investment Platform team.