In 2012, the Joint Economic Council, which is the coordinating body for the private sector in Mauritius, and the French Development Agency studied the energy efficiency situation in Mauritius by mapping the potential for energy savings in the industrial and tertiary sectors. The results showed that businesses could save about USD 30 million per year on their energy bills if issues such as a lack of supervision and awareness, low trust in energy audits, lack of subsidies and shortage of quality local expertise were addressed.
In 2013–2014, a pilot and demonstration phase of a study on the use of steam was conducted at eight companies. The results showed that the potential savings on fuel bills ranged from 10% to 40%. Based on the outcome of the study, the Programme National d’Efficacité Energétique (PNEE), or National Energy Efficiency Programme, was developed to help Mauritian factories reduce their energy consumption and energy bills through energy audits. Funded by the European Union through its “Sustainable Energy for All” initiative, the programme is now being implemented by various government agencies involved in promoting energy efficiency.
