Environmentalists rejoice as the Seychelles’ first wind farm opens on Mahé Island, signaling a change in tact regarding the national energy policy.
Seychelles Windfarm Courtesy of Masdar.ae
News that a 6-megawatt, eight turbine capacity wind farm has been opened on Mahé Island has been welcomed by green thinkers the world over. The first of its kind across the 115 island-strong archipelago, the Abu-Dhabi supported project is the Seychelles’ first step towards meeting a national target which will see 15% of the country’s energy generated from renewable sources by 2030.
Capable of generating 8% of the country’s energy demand, the wind farm has the potential to reduce the Seychelles’ carbon footprint by a total of 5,500 tons of carbon dioxide per year, dramatically cutting levels of smog forming emissions in the process and securing a more sustainable future for the island and all of its inhabitants.
In a land reliant almost exclusively on generators and fossil fuels, the inauguration of this wind farm looks set to make a big difference to the country’s finances too. With fuel costs accounting for approximately one quarter of the archipelago’s budget, the switch to wind power will save the Seychelles a substantial six-figure sum as well as approximately 1.6 million liters of diesel.
Upon the opening of the wind farm, James Michel, president of the Seychelles, thanked his supporters and issued the following statement: “Access to sustainable, clean sources of energy is vital to our long-term economic development. The addition of wind power is a major step toward meeting our clean energy targets and reducing our dependency on imported sources of power.”
http://www.masdar.ae/en/media/detail/masdar-launches-wind-farm-in-republic-of-seychelles
