The Seychelles authorities have chosen the French company Quadran to build a floating solar power plant in the Providence lagoon on the main island of Mahe. It is a public-private partnership (PPP) project.
Good news for Quadran Seychelles. The local subsidiary of the French company Quadran has been selected by the Seychelles Energy Commission to build a floating solar power plant in the lagoon of Providence on the main island of Mahe. According to the public body, which plays the role of mediator in the energy sector in the Seychelles Archipelago, the various concession agreements will be signed in the first quarter of 2020.
One is a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Public Utilities Corporation (PUC). Other agreements will also be signed with the Government of Seychelles. It was clearly Quadran’s electricity sales tariff that convinced the Seychelles Energy Commission. The Independent Power Producer (IPP) will sell the kWh of electricity to the PUC at 9.5 cents.
An expected capacity of 4 MWp
Quadran has teamed up with Masdar and Vetiver Tech to apply for the Seychelles Energy Commission’s tender. As a result, the consortium won the contract against several PPIs that are very active in the (solar) energy sector in Africa. This is the case of Scatec Solar, but also of other companies grouped in consortia: Solar Philippines and Corex Solar; Building Energy South Africa, Cobra Instalaciones y Servicios, Générale du Solaire and Total Eren; as well as GreenYellow and Voltas Ecobiotech.
Quadran is now responsible for building a floating solar power plant with a capacity of 4 MWp. The government would like the future photovoltaic solar power plant to be operational before the end of 2020.
The project is supported by the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF), a subsidiary of the African Development Bank (AfDB), which assists governments in their negotiations with foreign investors, as well as the Clinton Foundation and Trinity International LLP. Multiconsult Norge AS, one of the leading consulting engineering and design firms in Norway and Scandinavia, is also involved in this project as advisor on operations and tenders.
“This will be a flagship project for the Seychelles. Not only does the project inject green energy into the grid, but it also illustrates the country’s commitment and willingness to transform its energy sector into a low-carbon sector,” said Tony Imaduwa, chairman and CEO of the Seychelles Energy Commission, as early as June 2019.
Jean Marie Takouleu
