Signing ceremony of loan agreement between Abu Dhabi Fund For Development

On 12 January 2019, Mr Mootoosamy Naidoo, Chairperson of the Central Electricity Board and Mr Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development signed a loan agreement in Abu Dhabi for the grant of 10 million USD to CEB for the implementation of the Home Solar project.

The signing ceremony was held in the presence of the Hon Ivan Collendavelloo, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Energy and Public Utilities and the Director General of IRENA, Mr Adnan Amin.

The Home Solar project was selected in the first place by IRENA/ Abu Dhabi Fund for Development in January 2018 among 89 entries, after a rigorous screening by an international panel of experts.

Under this project, 10,000 solar kits will be installed on houses of low income families. It will benefit about 40,000 to 50,000 thousand persons. There are cases where families have their electricity supply disconnected when they are unable to settle electricity charges. They will no longer have to undergo such hardships. This project has been commended by IRENA/ADFD for its strong social objective.

The Central Electricity Board has been implementing the project on a pilot basis for 1000 families. A short documentary was screened to all delegates on the pilot phase of Home Solar Project for 1000 families implemented in Mauritius.

Following the signing of the agreement, the CEB will be required to conduct a procurement procedure for the installation of the solar PV kits.