- Sustainable Power Solutions has completed the installation of a 2.5MWp power plant in Seychelles.
- The Seychelles government plans to increase solar contribution to energy supply from 5% to 15% by 2030.
South Africa-based clean energy provider Sustainable Power Solutions (SPS) has commissioned a solar PV power plant in Desroches Island, Seychelles. The 2.5MWp solar plant will be the country’s second-largest PV installation. Fossil-fuel mini-grids power the majority of Seychelles’ 115 islands and islets. The government is looking to reduce this and plans to deploy more solar systems through its Islands Development Company (IDC). The country plans to increase the contribution of solar to the archipelago’s energy mix to 15 per cent by 2030 (up from 5 per cent currently).
The latest plant in Desroches Island is a step towards meeting that target. Glenny Savy, the IDC manager at the power plant’s inauguration, noted that solar is also providing cost-competitive electricity to residents; he stated: “IDC only spent money to build the pillar on which the PV panels rest and the building that houses the equipment. So we are simply buying electricity at the cost of $0.19 per kilowatt, compared to $0.42 when the generators were running.”
Flavien Joubert, Seychelles’ Minister of Climate Change and Energy, noted that the IDC proposal involves providing competitively priced clean energy by IPPs, which will eliminate the need for the upfront financial costs with renewable energy. “This is the kind of experience that should be shared with different partners to help them increase the use of renewable energy on their island,” addsFlavien Joubert, Seychelles’ Minister of Climate Change and Energy.