Government targets greater use of local biomass for electricity generation

Local biomass production must be scaled up to support Mauritius’ transition towards renewable energy and reduce reliance on imports, said the Minister of Agro-Industry, Food Security, Blue Economy and Fisheries, Dr Arvin Boolell.

He was speaking, yesterday afternoon, in Réduit at a roundtable on ‘Unlocking the Full Potential of Local Biomass Production’, an initiative of the Ministry in collaboration with the Mauritius Cane Industry Authority (MCIA).

The Junior Minister, Mr Gilles Fabrice David, the Chief Executive Officer of the MCIA, Dr Suman Seeruttun, and other stakeholders were present. Following the roundtable, a Biomass Laboratory was inaugurated at the MCIA.

In his address, Dr Boolell stressed that the expansion of local biomass production would hinge on offering producers an attractive price, while also taking measures to bring down production costs. He noted that achieving the necessary critical mass of production would be essential to make local biomass economically viable. In this regard, he highlighted the potential of the sugar cane sector, with production projected to reach around 2.5 million tonnes by 2028, thereby providing greater scope for electricity generation from locally available biomass.

Dr Boolell further underlined that Mauritius aims to produce approximately 275 GWh of electricity for the national grid by 2028. Meeting this target, he said, would require greater reliance on locally produced biomass and less dependence on imports, which involve foreign exchange expenditure. He therefore called for practical recommendations from experts on production capacity, costs and pricing to support the development of a viable local biomass sector.

For his part, Junior Minister David underscored the need to accelerate the development of renewable energy in Mauritius, recalling that it currently accounts for less than 20% of electricity generation, against Government’s target of 60% by 2035. He recalled that biomass, including bagasse and wood, contributes approximately 8% to electricity generation and identified the pricing and economic viability of the sector as key challenges that need to be addressed to support its further development.

For his part, Dr Seeruttun outlined the MCIA’s plans to increase electricity generation from biomass by drawing on different sources. He noted that electricity generation from bagasse had reached a peak of 381 GWh before declining to 208 GWh in 2025, and said that the MCIA is working towards increasing generation to 500 GWh. He also spoke about ongoing research into higher-fibre sugar cane varieties and other biomass sources, as well as efforts to address the production costs of different types of biomass.

25 September 2026

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Topics: Agriculture, Energy