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Making Floating Solar A Reality: The Seychelles Case Study

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Government of Seychelles has been developing and procuring a ~ 4MW marine floating PV power plant to be located in Lagoon le Rocher in Providence, Seychelles. The project will be Seychelles’ first Independent Power Producer, as well as the first utility-scale, private-sector funded floating solar project in Africa. While FPV has been deployed at scale globally, the marine application of the technology has so far been limited to small pilot projects, and has yet to be implemented at scale in ocean waters. Marine FPV technology holds immense potential for island nations and other land-constrained economies, and implementation of the project will advance the Seychelles’ sustainable energy goals and transition to renewable energy. The RFP for the project was launched to a prequalified set of bidders in May 2019, and the project will likely be awarded by the end of 2019 with construction beginning in early 2020. The project is being implemented by the Government of Seychelles and the Public Utilities Corporation with the support of the Clinton Foundation and the African Legal Support Facility, with Trinity International LLP and Multiconsult Norge AS serving as the transaction and tender advisers. The panel will draw on the diverse expertise from these implementing entities and advisers, and cover a range of technical, legal, and procurement topics related to this landmark marine FPV project.

Session Speakers:

FIONA WILSON

Senior Regional Manager for the Clinton Climate Initiative’s Islands Energy Program

Fiona manages the Clinton Foundation’s clean energy projects in the Africa and Indian Ocean region, serving as Senior Regional Manager for the Clinton Climate Initiative’s Islands Energy Program. Her work focuses on implementing innovative models for renewable energy solutions in an island context, supporting island governments to achieve their renewable energy goals. Over the past few years, she has supported the Government of Seychelles in developing and de-risking the country’s 4 MW marine floating solar project. Prior to joining the Clinton Foundation, she worked in environmental finance, specializing in industrial energy systems and renewable energy IPP projects in the Southeast Asia and Southern Africa markets. Fiona is a graduate of Princeton University, where her research centered on renewable energy development in South Africa.
Fiona Wilson

Senior Regional Manager for the Clinton Climate Initiative’s Islands Energy Program

GADI TAJ NDAHUMBA

Head of the Power Sector Division at the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF)

Gadi Taj Ndahumba is the Head of the Power Sector Division at the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF), an organization hosted by the African Development Bank, where he provides transactional support to numerous African governments in the context of power sector projects. He is currently involved in several projects on the continent which aim to solve the energy deficit of Sub-Saharan African countries through conventional and innovative technologies. Gadi is notably working on the first African utility scale floating solar PV project and a deep ocean water application project, both to be developed in African islands. This experience has made him well aware of the bankability issues of new technologies and their importance in our efforts to change the energy landscape of Africa.

Prior to joining the ALSF, Mr. Ndahumba was a financial services lawyer at McCarthy Tétrault LLP, a top-tier Canadian law firm, where he worked on project finance transactions in the energy and infrastructure sectors. During his time at McCarthy, he advised several leading wind energy developers as the Canadian electricity market began to diversify its energy sources.

Gadi Taj Ndahumba

Head of the Power Sector Division at the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF)

CYNTHIA ALEXANDER

Principal Officer for Renewable Energy and Energy Management Unit at the Seychelles Energy Commission (SEC)

Cynthia Alexander is the Principal Officer for Renewable Energy and Energy Management Unit at the Seychelles Energy Commission (SEC). The SEC is mandated to regulate the electricity sector, as well as implement the energy policies and strategies including the promotion of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency. Cynthia works on development and implementation of different renewable energy and energy efficiency projects including the 4 MW Floating PV Project. Additionally, she is active in education and awareness on RE, EE and sustainable development. As Principal Officer for RE and Energy Management, she has also worked on numerous RE and EE programs supported under regional and bilateral co-operations for the Seychelles.
Cynthia Alexander

Principal Officer for Renewable Energy and Energy Management Unit at the Seychelles Energy Commission (SEC)

SIMON GAZDOWICZ

Member of Multiconsult’s Solar and Smart Energy Advisory Team

Simon is a key member of Multiconsult’s Solar and Smart energy advisory team specializing in system design and procurement, particularly for floating PV and hybrid systems. He has played a key role in all FPV projects thus far at Multiconsult. He is currently the key technical resource for the 4MW saltwater floating PV tender in the Seychelles and was responsible for the system design of the Mt Coffee Hydro-Solar hybrid pre-feasibility study in Liberia.
Simon Gazdowicz

Member of Multiconsult’s Solar and Smart Energy Advisory Team

Sponsored by:

The Clinton Foundation

The Clinton Foundation is a non-profit organization established by former President of the United States Bill Clinton with the stated mission to "strengthen the capacity of people in the United States and throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence. Its offices are located in New York City and Little Rock, Arkansas.

The Clinton Climate Initiative collaborates with world-class partners to increase the resiliency of communities facing climate change, and create replicable and sustainable models for others to follow. Our unique and innovative models encourage cross-sectorial collaborations. At the core of our engagement philosophy is Systems Thinking; identifying and activating leverage points that can create significant positive impact in climate change mitigation and energy transition for communities around the world. Through our programs and with our distinctive resources we aim to create measurable, meaningful, and lasting contributions.