A photovoltaic power plant that is currently under construction on the artificial island of Romainville is expected to be fully operational in January 2020. Households in Seychelles will soon be consuming clean energy, courtesy of the solar photovoltaic power plant that is located off the main island of Mahé, only 2km from the capital Victoria.
The photovoltaic power plant
According to Public Utilities Corporation (PUC), the company that provides on-site electricity service, the work is progressing well and is expected to be completed in early 2020 with the commissioning of the plant to follow. The plant will consist of 14,850 solar panels capable of producing 5MWp.
The installation will also be connected to a battery storage system. The purpose of storage is to allow the facility to provide electricity after sunset. The storage system will have a capacity of 3.3 MWh and will be installed in three containers. The Romainville solar power plant will be able to supply electricity to 2,000 households in the Seychelles.
Also Read:Madagascar connects mini hybrid solar power plant near Ilakaka
Free electricity for 400 households
The Public Utilities Corporation (PUC) further revealed that it will provide free electricity to 400 low-income households. The corporation however clarified that the free power access only applies to households that already benefit from the assistance of the Social Protection Agency, which provides comprehensive social security and assistance services to the most vulnerable.
Tony Imaduwa, Director of the Seychelles Energy Commission added that PUC will allocate 300kW to all 400 households. Beyond this quota, they will have to pay for their consumption. The Romainville solar project will require a total investment of US $10.2m, from the PUC. The state-owned company is supported by loans from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD).
