Abu Dhabi's Masdar has commissioned its 2nd clean energy project in East Africa's Seychelles with 5 MW solar PV and 3.3 MWh energy storage capacity, in the vicinity of its 1st project, the Port Victoria Wind Farm, to supply electricity to main island of Mahé.
This way the Ile de Romainville Solar Park helps Seychelles maximize the use of available land and render stability to the grid. It will also allow for the maintenance of the wind turbines and minimize any shading losses, added Masdar that first announced the project in September 2018 (see 5 MW Solar+Storage Project In Seychelles).
The project will save the country some 2 million liters of fossil fuel annually thereby reducing its carbon footprint while making energy affordable and accessible, according to the project partners. Currently fossil fuels make up around 20% of the national imports.
"With the inauguration of the Ile de Romainville Solar Park, Seychelles can further reduce its reliance on fossil fuels and displace around 6,000 tons of carbon dioxide annually," said Masdar CEO Mohammed Jameel Al Ramahi. The country aims to increase the share of renewables in its total mix to 15% by 2030.
Ile de Romainville Solar Park is funded by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) and is part of a project facility of the Abu Dhabi government fund and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Masdar says ADFD has committed $350 million in concessionary loans over 7 funding cycles to support the establishment of renewable energy projects in developing nations.