Project to draw energy master plan launched |03 April 2012

It is meant to build capacity for energy planning for all the key people involved in planning for energy, and come up with a master plan for the period 2014-2030 to improve energy security.

It will be prepared by those who took part in the workshop with inputs from other stakeholders and decision-makers at high level.

The project is being implemented in the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) technical cooperation programme for Seychelles and targets the energy sector, including the Seychelles Energy Commission, the Public Utilities Corporation and Sepec.

The workshop was opened by the IAEA national liaison officer based at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Philip Michaud and was attended by 12 people including one from the National Statistics Bureau and another from the University of Seychelles.

Ahmed Jalal – who heads the planning and economic studies section at the IAEA’s department of nuclear energy in Austria – came to launch the project, and reviewed the necessary arrangements for the project together with workshop delegates.

The project will be implemented over two years and comprise computer-based pre-training, workshops run by IAEA experts, preparation of energy demand and supply reports, fellowships and scientific visits.

The IAEA will give tools – computer energy models – for complete analysis of energy demand, supply, environmental impacts and financial analysis of electricity sector expansion plans.

The Energy Commission has called on the PUC and Sepec – the two main energy companies – and the department of the environment – to work closely with it so as to come up with an integrated energy planning approach in Seychelles.