A new wind energy project will add another 25MW of renewables capacity to the island nation of Samoa – and 500kW of solar power has also recently been brought online.
On Monday, a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) between Samoa’s Electric Power Corporation (EPC) and local company Pacific Renewable Energy Ltd. was signed. This will be the second wind farm for the country; with the first being a 550kW facility located on the island of Upolu.
“This is part of the EPC’s continuous efforts in developing renewable energy sources, so to achieve our Government’s goal of using 100 percent renewable energy for electricity generation”, EPC General Manager, Tologata Galumalemana Lupematasila Tile said.
A new 500kw solar power system was also commissioned and connected to the EPC grid at Faleolo Airport last Friday. An additional 1.5 megawatts at the same facility will be completed soon.
EPC says it has 5 solar farms now operating in Upolu and Savaii. Three installations in Vaitele, Tanugamanono and Salelologa were funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and New Zealand’s government funded the other two power stations.
EPC is a wholly government owned corporation and responsible for all of Samoa’s electricity sector.
Like many island nations, Samoa has been heavily dependent on expensive diesel for power. According to diesel power made up more than two-thirds of the nation’s electricity generation as recently as 2011. Approximately 11 million kilowatt hours is currently generated from diesel fuel in Savaii annually.
Electricity consumption in Samoa is approximately 90 GWh per year. The two largest islands (Upolu and Savaii) consume about 95% of the total electricity generation in the country. Around 96% of households in Samoa are electrified.
For nations such as Samoa, renewable energy isn’t just a token tree-hugging gesture. According to Pacific Climate Change, climate change and related sea level rise are serious threats given that 70% of Samoa’s population and infrastructure is located in low-lying coastal areas. The World Health Organisation also warns the country is prone to increased incidences and duration of new and existing climate-related disease
outbreaks.
Samoa has been listed among the top 10 most vulnerable countries in the South Pacific by the IPCC, the International Panel on Climate Change.
