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ABU DHABI, 19th, 2022 (WAM) — The Republic of Seychelles has moved one step closer to realizing its clean energy ambitions with the inauguration of the UAE-funded 5 megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant, which will The factory is equipped with battery energy storage devices, which is the second clean energy project in an African island country.
The Ile de Romainville Solar Park is being developed by Masdar and the Seychelles Public Utilities Corporation (PUC), with funding from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), one of the UAE’s leading development finance institutions owned by the Abu Dhabi government. Khalifa Abdulla Al Qubaisi, Deputy Director General of ADFD, Ahmed Afif, Vice President of the Republic of Seychelles, Flavien Joubert, Minister of Agriculture, Climate Change and Energy of the Republic of Seychelles, and Joel Valmont, Chief Minister of the Republic of Seychelles attended the project launch ceremony. PUC Executive, Dr. Ibraheem Almansouri, Head of Masdar Engineering, and Simon Bräuniger, Senior Manager, Masdar Project Management Services.
These include a 5 MW solar photovoltaic plant on the Ile de Romainville, a 3.3 MWh energy storage system on Mahe, and a 33kV system that ensures a safe and stable supply of electricity from the photovoltaic plant to the main island of Mahe This further increases the resilience of the Seychelles National Grid. It is estimated that the project will save approximately 2 million liters of fuel and offset 6,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.
Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director General of ADFD, said: “We are proud to deliver on our commitment to drive Seychelles’ energy transition, thanks to our strong and enduring partnership dating back to 1979. By saving approximately 2,000,000 liters on the Ile de Romainville The annual use of fossil fuels by solar photovoltaic plants will allow the country to significantly reduce its carbon footprint, provide widespread benefits to its people and empower small businesses. In addition, the project will also make energy more affordable and accessible. The inauguration of this facility is also a testament to ADFD’s continued efforts to promote the widespread adoption of renewable energy in developing countries.”
Mohammed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, said: “Masdar is proud to deliver another renewable energy project to Seychelles in support of the country’s energy independence and renewable energy goals. With Ile de Romainville Solar With the completion of the park, Seychelles can further reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and displace about 6,000 tons of carbon dioxide per year. We thank ADFD, PUC and the Seychelles government for supporting this project.”
Joel Valmont, Chief Executive Officer of PUC added: “This is a bold step by the utility to manage the deployment of medium and large scale renewable energy plants across the main islands of Seychelles. The successful implementation of this project contributes to the environmentally sustainable development of the country An infusion of confidence and valuable experience. This achievement strengthens the company’s ability to achieve greater growth of renewable energy in the power sector.”
The Ile de Romainville Solar Park, built on the same island, houses ADFD’s wind turbines and Masdar’s first project in Seychelles, the Victoria Harbor Wind Farm, which has been in operation since 2013. The park’s photovoltaic arrays have been specifically designed to maximize the use of the available land, while allowing maintenance of the wind turbines and minimizing any loss of shade as a result.
The park is part of a project fund from ADFD and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). ADFD has committed $350 million in concessional loans over seven financing cycles to support the establishment of renewable energy projects in developing countries.
Seychelles relies heavily on fossil fuels to meet its electricity needs, accounting for about 20% of the country’s imports. The country has set a target of 5% renewable energy by 2020 and 15% by 2030.
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