GHG Emissions from the Energy Sector

This includes all emissions from fuel combustion and fugitive emissions from fuels.

1A Fuel Combustion Activities

• 1A1 - Energy Industries - Emissions from the combustion of fuels for electricity, heat, and other energy production.
• 1A2 - Manufacturing Industries and Construction - Emissions from fuel combustion in all industrial and construction activities except for the energy industries.
• 1A3 - Transport - Emissions from the combustion of fuels in all transport activities.
• 1A4 - Other Sectors - Emissions from the combustion of fuels in sectors not covered by 1A1, 1A2, or 1A3 such as commercial, institutional, residential, agriculture, forestry, and fishing.
• 1A5 - Non-Specified - Emissions from fuel combustion activities that are not specified under 1A1-1A4 categories.

1B Fugitive Emissions from Fuels

• 1B1 - Solid Fuels - Emissions from the extraction, handling, and combustion of solid fuels such as coal.
• 1B2 - Oil and Natural Gas
• 1B3 - Other Emissions from Energy Production - Emissions from other fugitive sources not included in 1B1 or 1B2 such as venting and flaring.

1C Carbon Dioxide Transport and Storage

• 1C1 - Transport of CO2 - Emissions associated with the transportation of carbon dioxide, which may occur via pipelines or other methods prior to storage.
• 1C2 - Injection and Storage - Emissions from the injection of CO2 into geological formations for the purpose of long-term storage, also known as carbon capture and storage (CCS). This includes any potential emissions resulting from leakage or other losses during the storage phase.

Overview of Emissions from the Energy Sector

Emissions within the energy sector in the Republic of Mauritius stem solely from fuel combustion (1A). Fugitive emissions (1B), although smaller in scale, occur during the processing and distribution of fossil fuels, highlighting the challenges in managing emissions across the energy supply chain. 

The Energy sector consistently has the highest GHG emissions, with a generally stable trend showing minor fluctuations around 4,400 Gg CO2-eq since 2017. The stable yet high emissions indicate that the energy sector remains the dominant contributor to the country's overall emissions, largely due to the reliance on fossil fuels for energy production.

GHG emission trend of Energy sector of RoM from 2000 to 2022. source: BTR/NID 2024

• 1A1 - Energy Industries (electricity) (Red Line):
  • Energy industries (such as power plants primarily due to the reliance on imported coal, diesel, natural gas and fuel oil) are the largest contributors at 52.4% (2,343 Gg CO2e) in 2022. Emissions from electricity generation show a slight increase over the years, reflecting the growing demand for electricity in Mauritius. This trend underscores the need for policies that promote renewable energy sources and energy efficiency in electricity generation. Post-2017, a decline in CO2e emissions from energy industries was noted due to decreased coal use in electricity generation, offset by increased fuel oil usage. Residual fuel oil and coal are the primary fuels for electricity generation, contributing 41% and 58% of the sector's emissions, respectively, with bagasse—a renewable resource—also used significantly.
  •  
• 1A2 - Manufacturing Industries & Construction (Green Line):
  • Manufacturing and construction industries add to the emissions through the combustion of fuels for energy-intensive processes.
  • Emissions from manufacturing and construction show moderate growth, indicating that industrial activities continue to expand. However, the growth is less steep compared to the transport sector. This sector's emissions highlight the importance of implementing energy-efficient practices and technologies in industrial processes.  Manufacturing industries and construction contributed 7.5% (334 Gg CO2e) in 2022.

• 1A3 - Transport (Purple Line):
• With a contribution of 31.6% (1,512 Gg CO2e), the transport sector contributes heavily, with emissions from road vehicles (primarily), aviation, and maritime activities.  The transport sector shows a steady and consistent increase in emissions over the years. This reflects the growing number of vehicles and increasing transportation needs in Mauritius. The upward trend suggests the necessity for interventions such as the promotion of electric vehicles, public transportation, and alternative fuels to mitigate emissions from this sector.
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• 1A4 - Other Sectors (Light Blue Line):
• Additionally, the residential and commercial sectors contribute through the use of energy for heating, cooling, and other essential services. Other sectors contributed 7.5% (334 Gg CO2e) and 6.2% (278 Gg CO2e), respectively.  Emissions from other sectors are minimal and relatively stable, contributing the least to the overall emissions.

Source Description

1A1 - Energy Industries

Energy Industries: Emissions from electricity generation and other energy-producing sectors.

Fuel combustion activities dominate the energy sector landscape of the Republic of Mauritius (RoM), which, lacking natural energy resources, relies heavily on imported petroleum products to meet its energy needs, including electricity generation and transportation. Despite this dependency, the RoM has leveraged bagasse—a by-product of the sugar cane industry—as the primary local source of biomass energy. Additionally, hydroelectric power plays a significant role, with 10 hydro power plants across the island contributing a combined installed capacity of 59 MW, exploiting the island's hydro potential nearly to its fullest. Solar and wind energy are also part of the renewable energy mix, albeit to a lesser extent.

The global uncertainties in fossil fuel prices and supply have prompted the RoM to prioritize energy security, particularly in electricity generation and transport. This has led to the development of policies and strategies that emphasize the potential of renewable energy sources and the promotion of energy efficiency, aligning with the Government’s objective of promoting sustainable development (Outline Energy Policy, 2007; Long Term Energy Strategy and Action Plan 2009-2025).

The largest greenhouse gas emitter in Mauritius remains the Energy Industries sector, which primarily involves electricity production, accounting for 46.7% of total emissions. 

1A2 - Manufacturing Industries and Construction

Manufacturing and Construction: Emissions from fuel combustion in manufacturing industries.

Emissions from manufacturing industries and construction remained stable from 2000 to 2022. 

The manufacturing and construction activities are part of the secondary sector of the country that contribute to the 20.7% of the total Global Value Added (GVA) of the country. The manufacturing category and its sub-categories, are the largest sector in Mauritian economy, contributing the 13.9% of the GVA of the country in 2016 (National Accounts and Investment, NAI 2016). The fuel types used in the manufacturing industry are mainly diesel, fuel oil, liquified petroleum gases (LPG), coal, gasoline, and biomass fuels such as fuelwood and bagasse. The GHG emissions provided from this category result from the combustion of these fossil fuels.

1A3 - Transport

Transport: Emissions from road transport, aviation, shipping, and railways.

The transport sector, the second-largest emitter, includes civil aviation, road and light rail transport (introduced in 2019) and water-borne navigation. In 2022, road transport alone accounted for 93.4% of transport emissions.

The transport sector consumed 47% of the country's total energy in 2021, amounting to 378 ktoe. This represents a slight decline from previous years, reflecting a broader trend of fluctuating energy use within the sector.

Road and light rail transportation are the primary modes of land transport in Mauritius, catering to both passenger and freight needs. The mass transit system was introduced to improve public transportation infrastructure and reduce road congestion.  The majority of the vehicles are passenger cars, making up over half of the total fleet, with motorcycles and autocycles following at over one-third of the total fleet. Vehicle registrations have continued to rise, reflecting increasing demand for personal and commercial transport.

In air transport, Mauritius currently has over 20 scheduled airlines serving around 30 destinations from the international airport. The passenger terminal is nearing its operational capacity, handling nearly 1,640 passengers per hour and operating at 92% of its 4 million annual passenger capacity. Plans are in place to increase passenger capacity to 4.5 million and expand air freight traffic to 65,000 tonnes by 2025. Recent developments include a new Cargo, Freeport, and Logistics zone near the airport to support these growing demands.

The maritime sector has also seen significant upgrades, with the extension of the Mauritius Container Terminal berths to 800 meters, making Port Louis the deepest port in the region. The port has enhanced its capacity to handle up to 750,000 TEUs, with increased bunker traffic by 36% over the past three years, and the number of cruise ships docking in Port Louis has risen from 24 to 37.

These reflect the dynamic growth and ongoing development within Mauritius's transport sector as the country continues to enhance its infrastructure to meet rising demand and improve efficiency (Statistics Mauritius).

1A4 - Other Sectors

• The Other Sector category involves:
• 1A4a Commercial/Institutional sector
• Commercial or institutional activities use fossil fuel such as LPG and non-fossil fuels such as Charcoal for the development of their activities.
• 1A4b Residential
• Residential sector use kerosene and LPG as fossil fuels and wood and charcoal as non-fossil fuels for cooking.
• 1A4c Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing
• 1A4cii Off-road Vehicles, Other Machinery and
• 1A4ciii Fishing (mobile combustion).
  Agriculture/Forestry/Fishing category is divided into stationary and mobile combustion. Stationary combustion in this category is minimal and the mobile combustion uses diesel and gasoline as fossil fuels for field operations and fishing activities.

National inventory of greenhouse gas emissions by sector, Republic of Mauritius (SM, 2022)

Energy Industries

Manufacturing Industries

Transport

Other Sectors

National inventory of greenhouse gas emissions by GHG, Republic of Mauritius (SM, 2022)

Carbon Dioxide - CO2

Methane - CH4

Nitrous Oxide - N2O

Hydrofluorocarbon - HFC