Panafrican News Agency

Mauritius: Fossil fuel dependency increases in Mauritius

Port-Louis, Mauritius (PANA) - Around 86% of the total primary energy requirement was met from imported fossil fuels in Mauritius in 2014 as against 85% in the preceding year, Statistics Mauritius revealed on Sunday.

The fossil fuels are petroleum products, 55% and coal 31%.

In volume, Mauritius used 1.279 million tonnes of oil equivalent in 2014 as against 1,235, a year earlier.

The share of the different fossil fuels within the total primary energy requirement in 2014 was as follows: coal (30.9%), fuel oil (17.1%), diesel oil (13.9%), gasoline (10.2%), aviation fuel (8.5%), Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) - (5.1%) and kerosene (0.1%).

Statistics Mauritius indicated that in 2014, total primary energy requirement was 1.492 million tonnes, showing an increase of 2.5% compared to 1.455 million tonnes in 2013.

This led to an increase of 1.7% in the per capita primary energy requirement from 1.16 tonne of oil equivalent (toe) in 2013 to 1.18 toe in 2014.

In 2014, primary energy requirement obtained from local renewable sources namely: hydro, wind, landfill gas, photovoltaic, bagasse and fuelwood stood at 212,000 tonnes of oil equivalent and it accounted for around 14% of the total primary energy requirement.

Bagasse and hydro contributed around 91% and 4% of the local renewable sources respectively while wind, landfill gas, photovoltaic and fuelwood accounted for the remaining 5%.

The peak power demand in 2014 reached 446.2 MW in the Island of Mauritius as compared with 441.1 MW in 2013. The per capita consumption of electricity sold went up by 2.7% from 1,894 kWh in 2013 to 1,945 kWh in 2014.

Regarding water, Statistics Mauritius said in 2014, the island of Mauritius received 3.905 million cubic metres (Mm3) of rainfall. Only 10% (390 Mm3) of it went as ground water recharge while evapo-transpiration and surface runoff accounted for 30% (1,172 Mm3) and 60% (2,343 Mm3) respectively.

The total volume of potable water treated in the island increased by 5.5% from 217 Mm3 in 2013 to 229 Mm3 in 2014. The average production from surface water and boreholes represented 48% and 52% in 2013 and 2014 respectively.
-0- PANA NA/MA 14June 2015