Implementing sustainable electricity production systems on Mahé in the Seychelles

Abstract: This bachelor thesis project in Renewable Energy Technology conducted as a literature study along with a field study on the main island Mahé in the Seychelles. The study aims to investigate the feasibility to add renewable energy to the grid on the densely populated  island  Mahé,  in  regards  of  an  economic  and  environmental  point  of  view.  Many island nations are heavily dependent on import of fuel to cover their demand for energy. Along with tourism making up a big part of GDP, the economy is currently extremely volatile to fluctuations in fuel prices.  The Seychelles consists of an archipelago of approximately 115 islands, located 5 to 7 degrees south of the equator in the Indian Ocean. The climate is tropical, with rather constant temperature and weather conditions throughout the year.  In 2009 the Seychelles government founded an energy commission, after being hit very hard by increased prices of oil after the financial crisis previous year. The country is keen on becoming more energy independent, and preserving the pristine environment that attracts visitors. There are several projects connected to renewable energy or energy efficiency currently active in the Seychelles and the subject has lately received more attention. The software HOMER Legacy was used to simulate the economically most optimal grid mix. Input data for the simulation was collected during a field study in the Seychelles. Important hourly data on solar insolation and wind speed were acquired from Meteonorm. Interviews with local residents connected to the future energy development were conducted during the field study, to complement the simulated results, in order to suggest a viable composition of renewable electricity supply systems on Mahé.