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The IDC has commissioned two solar PV plants to provide electricity to the Astove and Farquhar islands.
- Construction of the power plants commenced in October 2020
- The IDC also has plans to commission a 2.5 MWp solar plant in Desroches
The Islands Development Company (IDC) has commissioned two solar PV plants to provide electricity to the Astove and Farquhar islands in Seychelles. The Farquhar Island power plant comprises 510 solar panels that can generate 250 kWp. This is equivalent to 94 per cent of the electricity demand of the 13 km2 Island. The Astove installation, on the other hand, comprises 342 solar panels that can generate 150 kWp and supply 93 per cent of the energy required by households and businesses.
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Construction of the power plants commenced in October 2020 by the Islands Development Company (IDC), an initiative of the Seychelles government that aims to accelerate the sustainable development of 14 islands in the archipelago. The IDC believes that the new solar PV plants will enable the islands to reduce their carbon emissions from diesel generators and save fuel costs.
The IDC commissioned its first solar PV plant, a 750 kWp on Alphonse Island, in 2019. The solar plus storage system had a battery storage capacity of 1,500 kWh.
The IDC also has plans to commission a 2.5 MWp solar plant in Desroches, an island located 230 km southwest of the capital city of Victoria. This will be the fourth plant constructed by the IDC to provide sustainable development to the archipelago.
According to Glenny Savy, Managing Director of the IDC, the company intends to provide 100 per cent clean energy to all of the islands it manages by June 2022.