COUSIN ISLAND NOW ON 100 PERCENT SOLAR ENERGY
(Posted 06th July 2015)
After the Aldabra Atoll and Aride Island has Cousin become the third island of the Seychelles archipelago to switch off the diesel generators and convert entirely to solar power. Seen as an island sanctuary dedicated to birds is Cousin managed by the Nature Seychelles, one of the country’s leading conservation NGO’s.
At hand to see the commissioning of the solar installation and the decommissioning of the generators was the Seychelles Minister for Environment, Energy and Climate Change Didier Dogley who was shown around the location of the solar panels, batteries and inverter by Nature Seychelles’ CEO Dr. Nirmal Shah.
The cost of the installation was given at around 25.000 US Dollars and the yearly savings in diesel for the generators will provide added cash to use in conservation programmes rather than for buying fuel. Nature Seychelles has eight staff permanently based on Cousin, engaged in managing the island, collecting data and carrying out scientific studies.
The Seychelles government has been promoting the use of renewable energy sources and in his recent address on Independence and National Day had President Michel announced a range of further measures to promote the use of such energy sources. He launched a subsidy scheme for solar panels for domestic homes including solar water heaters and duty for electric vehicles will be abolished as of 15th of July while hybrid vehicles will see their import duty reduced to just five percent. More than half of the archipelago’s land territory has been dedicated to conservation and large tracts of the Indian Ocean under the control of the Seychelles is also intended to be set aside as marine conservation areas. Seychelles, truly another world. For information about Destination Seychelles click on www.seychelles.travel
