Mauritius seeks India's help to bolster energy security, accelerate transition

Our Special Correspondent NEW DELHI: Facing record electricity demand and a looming climate deadline, Mauritius has turned to India for help.

- S VENKAT NARAYAN

The Indian Ocean island nation is seeking New Delhi's technical and financial support as it races to bolster power generation.

The collaboration marks a deepening of the countries' longstanding strategic partnership, as India positions itself as a key energy ally for small island nations confronting climate risk.

Mauritius recently reached out to India with a formal proposal to collaborate on a roadmap for energy security, Zeenat Guness-Goolbar, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities, told Indian business daily Mint in Port Louis.

The request, routed via the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the High Commission of India in Port Louis, follows a spike in electricity demand that has strained its aging infrastructure.

On 5 February, Mauritius recorded a new peak power demand of 568 megawatts (MW), surpassing the previous record of 525.7 MW. With electricity needs rising alongside economic growth, GunessGoolbar said the country is seeking support in generation planning, battery storage, and grid stability.