SEYCHELLES GOES GREENER
While on the Creole island paradise of the Seychelles to cover the Carnival International de Victoria for eTurboNews, opportunity arose to also see the site chosen to construct the Seychelles first windpowered electricity plant. Mentioned here a few months ago, when the initial MoUs and contracts were signed between the Seychelles government and MASDAR, the Abu Dhabi based company also taking the lead to build the worlds first zero carbon emission city outside the UAEs capital city, the foundation stone was laid last week and construction is now underway in earnest.
Two locations were selected by engineers, suitable to constant generating activity and blessed by strong winds, at Ile de Port, where the brief ceremony took place and where 3 of the initial 8 turbines will be locate and at Ile de Romanville where the remaining 5 units will be placed.
Generating capacity will be 11 MW, feeding into the national grid, adding a further 11 percent production into the system, although more such renewable sources of energy are to be put into place under an ambitious plan to make the Seychelles one of the first countries in the world to eventually go green altogether.
The project is funded by the government of Abu Dhabis Fund for Development, further strengthening the already very close ties between the two countries, which only recently manifested itself when Etihad, Abu Dhabis national airline, came to the rescue of Air Seychelles with the acquisition of 40 percent of the shares, in partnership with the government of Seychelles.
The archipelagos growing reputation around the world as one of the most ecofriendly destinations more than half of the Seychelles territory has been set aside for conservation will be substantially strengthened with the new power plant, as it will save at least 2 million litres of fuel to be burned in thermal plants currently used around the islands to provide electricity. Watch this space.
