Energy Crisis: How to Break the Vicious Cycle?

Mauritius narrowly avoided a major energy crisis, exposing the weaknesses of a system unable to balance growth and sustainability. Power outages highlight the urgent need to act amidst dependence on fossil fuels and the slow transition to renewable energy.

Last week, Mauritius barely escaped load-shedding. A red alert from the Central Electricity Board (CEB) kept the nation on edge. The gap between electricity demand and available supply was minimal, forcing authorities to implement a series of emergency measures to avert disaster. The country was ultimately spared, but this warning, the most serious in years, reveals a profound imbalance in our energy model. Can we continue to merely put out fires as they arise, or is it time to fundamentally rethink how the nation produces and consumes electricity?

According to Damodar Doseeah, a Senior Engineer at CEB, the diagnosis is clear: the system has reached its limits. "We are facing a deficit of about 58.5 megawatts, caused by faulty engines, scheduled maintenance, and simultaneous outages at our independent electricity producers. Some plants have been idle for months, like the one in Savannah. We generate around 466 megawatts while demand exceeds 445 megawatts," he explains.

In just one year, demand has increased by 30 megawatts, demonstrating the growing pressure on the national grid. To contain this rise, CEB had to call on the public. "We issued the red alert to raise awareness. Everyone must contribute by limiting the use of energy-intensive appliances. Every action counts," he states.

He emphasizes the measures taken to avoid overload: temporary agreements with hotels to switch to their own systems, a rationing plan ready to be activated as a last resort, and increased monitoring of the network. "We did everything we could to avoid the worst," he notes.

A Lack of National Strategies

The country has escaped a blackout, but at what cost? The solutions implemented have stabilized the situation without addressing the structural causes, argues ecology expert Sunil Dowarkasing. He believes this crisis is not an accident but the result of a prolonged lack of vision. "We have been held hostage by the IPP system since 1997. For nearly 30 years, we have depended on private producers who operate according to their own rules."

He laments that no coherent national strategy has been implemented since the end of the integrated electricity plan covering 2013–2022. "Where is the new roadmap? Where is the long-term planning? We are moving from one alert to the next," he says.

"Since the abandonment of the Mauritius Sustainable Island program, there has been no coherent policy or long-term vision."

Adding to this observation is an even more critical voice, that of Nalini Burn, a member of the Moris Lanvironnman platform. For her, the current crisis is a direct consequence of a lost decade. "Since the abandonment of the Mauritius Sustainable Island program, there has been no coherent policy or long-term vision. We lament a lack of robust commitment to energy security and transition," she states.

She also points to administrative delays and ambiguities in certain bidding procedures. "The issues surrounding politically exposed individuals have paralyzed several projects and weakened institutional credibility. Meanwhile, other countries are progressing, and we are stagnating," she laments.

Towards Energy Transition

According to Sunil Dowarkasing, the problem goes beyond technical questions. It is a model that has run out of steam, remaining stuck in a fossil logic while the rest of the world begins its transition. "For 25 years, we have talked about renewable energies, but nothing is progressing on the ground. We remain trapped in a centralized, dependent, and vulnerable system."

The only way out, he insists, is through a genuine energy transition, meaning reducing dependence on fossil fuels by making massive and sustainable investments in renewable energy. He highlights the need to modernize the grid, decentralize production, and empower every Mauritian to become an energy producer: "Other countries, like India or certain African states, have democratized production. Why not us? We have the resources; we just lack the political will."

Mauritius has avoided the worst, but there is no guarantee that the country will escape the next crisis. The danger lies not only in technical failures but also in the absence of strategic planning. Various stakeholders agree that energy governance remains too fragmented and dependence on IPPs too strong. Without a fully committed transition to renewables, the country will continue to live from alert to alert.

According to experts, the way out of the crisis will not be through urgency but through vision. Rethinking production, modernizing infrastructures, encouraging citizen participation, diversifying energy sources, and strengthening institutional transparency are all necessary conditions to build a resilient energy model. As Sunil Dowarkasing summarizes, "this is not just about electricity; it is about society – either we continue to suffer, or we finally choose to build a sustainable future."

Prof. Khalil Elahee, President of the Mauritius Renewable Energy Agency: “The Current Crisis is a Wake-Up Call”

What is your assessment of the current energy management in Mauritius?
The current situation resembles a crisis, but I see it as an opportunity. We need to awaken a true energy consciousness. For too long, we have regarded electricity as an entitlement: available, cheap, and unlimited. However, achieving the SDG 7 goal – Affordable Clean Energy requires everyone to understand the impacts of production and consumption on our environment. Energy is not just an economic input; it shapes our lives. If this crisis can lead us to adopt more responsible behaviors, it will have played an essential role.

Where do you see the main flaws in the system?
Our energy model still relies on a centralized logic inherited from the 1950s. The CEB has long ensured efficient production based on imported fuels, but this system has reached its limits: local resources like bagasse or hydropower are saturated, and environmental impacts are being felt. Our institutions and financing mechanisms must be rethought. The current crisis is a wake-up call: we need to reinvent our energy governance.

Is the recent energy crisis now under control?
We avoided the worst thanks to collective mobilization, but stability remains precarious. The future will depend on our ability to manage demand better, not by imposing deprivations but by promoting efficiency, sobriety, and responsibility. In the medium term, we will need to encourage investments in solar and storage; hotels, for example, could replace their diesel generators with cleaner systems. This is the essence of the 4D revolution: Decarbonize, Decentralize, Democratize, and Digitalize.

We have delayed investing, especially in renewables, while demand continues to rise. The problem is also cultural: our vision of development has not been thought out over the long term. The lack of anticipation, at all levels, has weakened our system. We must now move away from a reactive mindset to adopt a culture of sustainable planning.

What obstacles hinder the energy transition?
The hurdles are technical, institutional, economic, and also human. We lack local expertise and struggle to retain or attract talent. MARENA has laid out a strategic framework, but a holistic approach is necessary: knowledge transfer, battery recycling, impact assessments. The government is acting on two fronts: achieving quick results while laying the foundations for structural transformation. The transition is now unavoidable, and the next two or three years will show whether we have managed to turn this crisis into a genuine opportunity.

Risk of Blackout

Paul Bérenger: “Time is Running Out”

For several months, even years, Paul Bérenger has been sounding the alarm: Mauritius is at real risk of a blackout if nothing is done to strengthen the energy system. At a recent press conference, he bluntly stated that "the country risks a blackout by the end of the year" if structural measures continue to be postponed. For him, the current crisis is not just a passing episode, but a symptom of poor long-term planning and accumulated delays in implementing energy projects.

The leader of the MMM acknowledges the recent efforts of the authorities but believes that "it is too late" to expect immediate results. Projects related to liquefied natural gas (LNG) or renewable energies, he says, take time to become operational, between one and three years depending on their scale. "Time is running out," he stressed, calling for quick, clear, and coordinated decisions to avoid another crisis in the coming months.

Paul Bérenger also applauds citizen mobilization and that of economic operators, notably hotels that have agreed to reduce their electricity consumption to relieve the grid. He sees this as an encouraging sign of collective awareness.

But he warns: these gestures, as commendable as they are, will not be enough without a coherent national vision capable of reconciling energy security, ecological transition, and economic stability.