Public consulted on FPV project on Le Rocher lagoon |17 February 2020
The meeting on Saturday (Photo: Jude Morel)
A public informative meeting was held on Saturday at the Les Mamelles district administration to give more details about the project to set up aFloating Solar Photovoltaic (PV) system on the Le Rocher lagoon next to the Providence industrial estate.
The country is planning to install Africa’s first utility-scale Floating Solar Photovoltaic (PV) system on the Le Rocher lagoon next to the Providence industrial estate. The 4MW floating solar PV project is being implemented with the support and guidance of the African Legal Support Facility and being developed by France Quadran International, an independent power producer.
Saturday’s public meeting to explain the project was headed by the chief executive of the Seychelles Energy Commission, Tony Imaduwa, alongside Roland de Rosnay, the project development manager and other key members.
“The PV system will be expected to contribute around 5.8 GWh annually. This new initiative will also contribute to a reduction in fossil fuel importation which translates to savings in foreign exchange for the country,” said Mr Imaduwa.
The energy from the new project will “equate to 1.6 percent of our national energy target set for 2030”.
However beneficial the PV project will be for the country, members of the public attending the meeting on Saturday were not in favour of it and expressed their disdain towards project.
Many expressed their concern that Seychelles will serve as a guinea pig for the project as it has never been done by the French renewable energy company Quadran International in Africa before.
The people who attended the meeting also suggested placing the PV systems on government buildings. However Mr Imaduwa said that this will not be possible as they won’t be able to properly fit all of it in one place as it requires a large amount of space. He also noted that the aesthetic design of some buildings also limits the amount of PV systems that can be placed on their roof.
Environmental concerns were also raised during the meeting. The impacts of floating solar panels on water bodies can be analysed depending on the type of body it is put on. If the water body is artificial like a dam or channel then some positive environmental aspects might arise. However some negative environmental impacts can appear when the floating solar panels are installed on natural water bodies such as the lagoon it would be placed upon. Perhaps the most import impact has to do with the food chain of these ecosystems. Since the solar energy is limited by the panels, the bottom of the chain producers such as algae would not be enough to support the next chain which comprises insects, fish, etc. affecting the whole ecosystem.
“We will investigate possibilities where we can minimise the impact it has on the environment,” Mr Imaduwa reassured.
Other points raised were the navigation of boats which Mr Imaduwa noted will still have enough space to pass.
Seychelles currently covers most of its power demand with diesel power generators on Mahé (69 MW) and Praslin (12 MW) islands, as well as a 6 MW wind power plant that was commissioned in 2013. The government aims to increase the share of renewables to 15% by 2030.
Christophe Zialor
