Masdar to deliver five-megawatt battery-storage solar plant in Seychelles

The project is being financed by a US$8.44mn loan from Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) and from PUC’s own equity.

The project’s engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract scope includes subsea cabling, switchgear extensions and an underground water piping system for module cleaning.

The five-megawatt Ile de Romainville Solar Park will be located on the same site as the existing ADFD-financed US$28.04mn Port Victoria Wind Farm, Masdar’s six-megawatt renewable energy wind farm that has been generating power for Seychelles’ capital since 2013.

The new project is expected to include an energy storage system (ESS) with a capacity of five-megawatt and 3.3MWh, allowing for the safe and stable supply of electricity to the main island of Mahé, while also ensuring the grid stability and safe operation of PUC’s conventional fuel-fired power station.

Due for completion in Q2 2019, the five-megawatt Ile de Romainville Solar Park is part of ADFD and International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) Project Facility. ADFD has committed US$350mn in concessionary loans over seven funding cycles to support the establishment of renewable energy projects in developing countries.

Commenting on the project, Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, director general of ADFD, said, “Contributing to the financing of this solar park with integrated battery storage will bolster ADFD’s efforts in supporting the island country’s priorities, especially with regard to mitigating carbon emissions through the deployment of renewable energy. Cutting-edge projects like the Ile de Romainville Solar Park demonstrate the benefits of renewable energy ventures in long-term socio-economic development.”

Seychelles has set a target of five per cent renewables by 2020 and 15 per cent by 2030. It is estimated that the Ile de Romainville solar project will save approximately 2,000,000 litres of fuel annually.