The Eswatini Energy Regulatory Authority (ESERA) has launched a competitive tender inviting private developers to design, partially finance, build, operate, and maintain a solar-plus-battery minigrid in the remote Bulimeni community in southern Eswatini, where at least 168 potential customers currently lack electricity access due to poor road infrastructure. The proposed system includes a 65 kW solar photovoltaic array paired with a 165 kWh battery storage capacity to maximize electrification coverage in the area.
A key component of this project entails the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of an appropriately sized Solar PV plus Battery minigrid plant to electrify about 165 households, 1 church and 2 enterprises at Bulimeni Community in the Shiselweni Region under Nkwene Inkhundla. This also seeks to promote the integration of Productive Use of Energy (PUE) initiatives as an anchor off-taker of electricity to support the sustainability of the minigrid and contribute to the overall economic development in the area. The AMP Eswatini will provide a partial CAPEX subsidy of up to USD162,000.00. In turn, the Project Company is expected to contribute towards the Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) costs of establishing the Mini-grid Facility. The AMP Project will also support funding the Productive Use of Energy (PUE) investment costs to a maximum of USD54,000.00. This amount is an addition to the US$162k partial CAPEX subsidy for the Mini-grid Facility. The Operation and Maintenance (O&M) of the Minigrid Facility and the Productive Use of Energy (PUE) equipment will solely be the responsibility of the Project Company.
Key milestones include a bidders’ conference on November 6, 2025, followed by a mandatory site visit the next day, written clarification requests accepted until November 19, and a final bid submission deadline of December 3, 2025, accompanied by a non-refundable fee of SZL 2,000 (approximately US$116). This initiative builds on Eswatini’s existing solar infrastructure, which currently stands at 28.7 MW operational capacity, including 0.1 MW from minigrids, according to the Africa Solar Industry Association. For more information about this tender, please visit our Business Opportunity page here.
Bidders are required to submit their Bids by email to amptenders@esera.org.sz on or before the Deadline for Submission of Bids.
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