At the Heart of the News: 100,000 Air Conditioners Running at Night, According to CEB

With the arrival of summer and rising humidity, air conditioners have become essential in Mauritius. Over 100,000 units are already operating at full capacity in the evenings, and an additional 10,000 are expected to soon join the Central Electricity Board (CEB) network, putting significant pressure on the country's energy supply. On Wednesday, during the program "At the Heart of the News" on Radio Plus, the Director General (DG) Shamshir Mukoon detailed the situation. He was joined by Amandine Hurdowar de Rosnay from Business Mauritius and Dhirajsing Rughoo, a renewable energy expert. The theme was the risks of load shedding and blackouts in light of International Energy Day.

"Our priority is to ensure the country's energy security," explains Shamshir Mukoon. "The peak consumption has shifted to the evening, especially in summer with the massive activation of air conditioners. The integration of these energy-intensive devices into the network is concerning, but we are counting on the common sense of Mauritians."

The CEB DG reminded that October has been a critical month. To alleviate the load, some companies have been invited to disconnect from the grid and use their private generators. "This has allowed us to avoid the worst," emphasizes Mukoon, as overall demand reaches 694 MW for a production limited to 600 MW, impacted by wear and maintenance of power plants.

On the business side, solidarity prevails. "Business Mauritius had anticipated the zonal load shedding. Our members agreed to cooperate to avoid any outages. This shows that we are aware of the collective challenge," states Amandine Hurdowar de Rosnay.

Dhirajsing Rughoo stresses the importance of renewable energy: "To prevent any load shedding, about 40,000 additional solar panels would need to be installed. Even with government subsidies, the country would benefit in the long run."