Power Outage in Mauritius: Possible Blackout in December 2025

Mauritius is on alert due to a predicted power outage risk, with energy experts and government officials, including Minister of Energy and Public Utilities Patrick Assirvaden, warning of a possible blackout in Mauritius as soon as December 2025.

Recent news headlines have highlighted the country’s struggle to meet peak electricity demand, especially after the island hit a new all-time record of 525.9MW on February 5, 2025, according to the Central Electricity Board (CEB). These figures show the urgency of the situation, as maximum demand continues to rise each year—up from 516MW in February 2024 and 494.1MW in January 2023.

For residents and businesses, this is more than a technical issue; it’s a challenge poised to disrupt daily life, commerce, and the national economy.

Why Is Mauritius Facing a Power Outage Risk?

A potential blackout in Mauritius is more than theoretical. Let’s break down the main causes:

• Rising Demand: The rapid development of Smart Cities, booming tourism, and over 100,000 air conditioners running each summer evening are pushing the grid to its limits.
• Aging Infrastructure: A significant portion of the country’s power generation fleet is old and in need of replacement or major maintenance. This aging infrastructure is less reliable and more prone to breakdowns, which can lead to localized or wider-scale outages.
• Reliance on Fossil Fuels: Mauritius remains heavily dependent on imported fossil fuels, which account for over 80% of its energy mix. This reliance exposes the country to volatile global oil prices and supply chain disruptions, both of which can impact the cost and availability of electricity.
• Challenges with Renewable Energy Integration: While the government has ambitious renewable energy targets—aiming for 60% by 2030—the transition is not without its complications. Integrating a large amount of intermittent renewable energy sources like solar and wind into an older grid requires significant upgrades and modern energy management systems. The grid can become saturated, creating pressure on the supply.

Economic Impact: Who’s Most at Risk?

A blackout could cause severe financial and operational setbacks across key sectors:

• Tourism & Hospitality: This sector is the backbone of the Mauritian economy. A blackout would severely impact hotels, resorts, and restaurants, affecting everything from guest comfort to food preservation and security systems. The loss of power could lead to a negative image for the country as a tourist destination—especially at a time when Mauritius is already navigating challenges such as a decline in European visitors and searching for new opportunities in tourism.
• Manufacturing: Industries reliant on continuous production lines would suffer immense losses. A blackout would halt operations, damage sensitive equipment, and result in lost production, idle labour, and spoiled materials.
• Financial and IT Services: The financial services and IT sectors, which depend heavily on a constant supply of electricity for data centres, servers, and telecommunication networks, would face major disruptions. Even a brief outage could lead to data loss and unrecoverable financial transactions, threatening business continuity.
• Retail and Commerce: Retailers, especially those with perishable goods like supermarkets and food outlets, would face significant losses due to spoilage. Cash registers, point-of-sale systems, and security systems would also be affected, bringing commerce to a halt.

Recent News and Key Facts

• Mauritius hit record electricity demand of 525.9MW on February 5, 2025—a sharp increase from previous years.
• Minister Patrick Assirvaden warns that emergency measures are necessary to meet December 2025 demand.
• CEB estimates system losses up to 7.81% in recent operations, further stressing the grid.
• The government launched tenders for a floating power station and a new 40MW solar plant to boost short- and long-term supply.
• Widespread concerns about blackouts surfaced in the press and business circles after electricity usage soared and infrastructure issues persisted.

Actions Businesses Can Take to Prepare

For businesses, proactive planning is the key to mitigating the impact of a potential blackout.

• Develop a Business Continuity Plan: Create a comprehensive plan that outlines procedures for a power outage. This should include an emergency communication strategy for employees and customers, as well as a list of critical equipment that needs to be turned off and then safely restarted.
• Invest in Backup Power: For critical operations, consider investing in backup power solutions such as diesel generators or Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS). A generator can provide power for an extended period, while a UPS offers a short-term solution to allow for a graceful shutdown of sensitive equipment like computers and servers.
• Review Supply Chains: Assess your supply chain for vulnerabilities related to power outages. Consider maintaining a safety stock of essential goods or having alternative suppliers in place.
• Protect IT Systems: Ensure all essential data is backed up regularly and stored off-site or in the cloud. Invest in surge protectors to safeguard electronic equipment from potential damage when power is restored.

 Solutions for Households

While a widespread blackout would be challenging for households, there are several steps individuals can take to prepare:

• Emergency Kit: Prepare an emergency kit with essentials like flashlights, batteries, a battery-powered radio, and a first-aid kit.
• Power Banks: Keep power banks and other portable chargers for mobile phones and other devices fully charged.
• Solar Solutions: For those with the means, a residential solar photovoltaic (PV) system with a battery backup can provide a significant degree of independence from the grid. Even a small “balcony power system” with storage can charge essential devices.
• Food and Water Storage: Have a supply of non-perishable food items and drinking water to last for at least 72 hours.
• Alternative Cooking and Lighting: Have a camping stove with gas cartridges for cooking and candles or solar-powered lights for illumination. Always ensure good ventilation when using gas stoves or candles indoors.

What is the Government Response to Prevent a blackout?

Minister of Energy and Public Utilities Patrick Assirvaden has outlined several emergency and long-term solutions:

• Temporary Power Generation: The government has issued a call for projects for a temporary floating power plant. This plant, which would run on heavy fuel oil or diesel, is intended to provide a quick boost to the grid’s capacity, adding between 90 and 110 MW and is expected to be operational by early 2026. This is a stopgap measure designed to avert a crisis while long-term solutions are being developed.
• Accelerating Renewable Energy Projects: The government is pushing forward with new renewable energy initiatives, including a recently announced 40 MW solar power plant (a large-scale renewable energy facility capable of generating 40 megawatts of electricity). This, along with other planned projects, is part of the long-term strategy to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and diversify the energy mix.
• Exploring Other Temporary Measures: The Central Electricity Board (CEB) is also reportedly exploring other temporary fixes, such as the addition of smaller plants and the use of battery storage systems to complement existing renewable energy sources.

Conclusion

The risk of a blackout in Mauritius cannot be ignored. While the government is working on immediate and long-term energy solutions, both businesses and households must act now to strengthen their power resilience. Being prepared today could make the difference between smooth operations and costly downtime this December.