Overview

As required by the MARENA Act 2015, the Agency developed the first Renewable Energy Strategic Plan (RESP) 2018-2023 for Mauritius.

The RESP 2018-2023 provides a keystone reference for execution of critical national policy and goals. It has been designed to support and respond to the Government’s Vision 2030, a transformative journey about sustained progress in all aspects of life – extending beyond mere economic growth and high income per capita to social, cultural, infrastructural, institutional and environmental development as well.

Considering global developments and following inclusive and extensive participatory consultations including RE experts, the RESP built up to develop a holistic outlook on promoting RE, the key mandate of MARENA. The RESP reviews energy requirements with the spirit to advise the Government in the planning and execution of future decisions in its quest to provide clean and affordable energy to the nation.

The RESP 2018-2023, as approved by Board, consists of 8 strategic goals:

Specific Issues

• SG1: Increasing On-Grid RE Technologies;

• SG2: Boosting Off-Grid RE Technologies;

• SG3: Smartening the Grid;

• SG4: Accelerating the Development of Sustainable Transportation.

Cross-cutting Issues

• SG5: Research Development & Demonstration and Capacity Building;

• SG6: Fostering a dynamic RE Economy;

• SG7: Strengthening International and Regional Linkages;

• SG8: Developing Coherent and Effective Communication Pathways.

While the specific programmes and initiatives to address these goals may change over time, all MARENA activities are guided by the key underlying principles of:

• Economic Prosperity;

• Adaptability & Sustainability;

• Energy Security

These principles stimulate fundamental areas of national interest and commits all of MARENA’s work to ensure lasting value from the work we do. The RESP was considered with respect to important dimensions such as Technical, Social, Environmental, Financial Considerations and Institutional Factors. The RESP has been based on a number of important assumptions (see RESP).

With its underlying theme “Setting the base for an RE economy”, the RE Strategic Plan will guide work on future technology breakthroughs that can help to mitigate climate change risks, modernize our energy infrastructure, accommodate emerging ideas and future changes and enhance our energy security. As the leading office for clean energy technology applied research and development, MARENA will continue to play a prominent role in addressing opportunities and challenges.

RESP 2018-2023 serves as implementing UNFCCC’s framework for a comprehensive strategy to address the mounting impacts of climate change. In particular, the focus areas will be on clean energy deployment, promoting a modern transportation sector, improving energy productivity, and leadership in clean energy directly aligned to MARENA’s strategic actions and correlated to many of the goals in this Strategic Plan.

The plan is designed to be comprehensive, flexible, easily adaptable to reflect new targets and ambitions by Government. Furthermore, the RESP intends to set the foundations of a RE Economy that will thrive on the basis of several key ingredients, including rigorous assessments and data analysis, planning, solid and clear policies, political commitment, societal support and engagement through active communication, capacity building, investments and financing, public-private cooperation, international support, research and technical innovation.

In addition to the Strategic Goals mentioned above, sub-Goals, Activities and Sub-Activities have been defined together with Expected Outcomes, Success Indicators and a List of Studies. These need to be developed in parallel in order to be successfully deployed over time. Prompted by MARENA, the Implementation Plan for the five years calls for active participation of key stakeholders.