British Investment Company Gridwork and SPS Organise Solar Capacity Building Program in Seychelles

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The Seychelles government is focusing on training professionals in the solar industry to accelerate the development of solar-powered systems. A training program has been recently launched in partnership with the British investment company Gridworks and solar energy producer Sustainable Power Solutions (SPS) in Seychelles.

The island country has started moving on the path to increasing the share of renewable energy in its electricity mix to 15% by 2030. As part of its new energy policy, the government facilitated the training program for solar industry professionals, which will start as early as June 2022.

Gridworks, which invests in both on and off-grid energy projects in Africa, is a part of British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution. The British investor will implement the training program with the support of the South Africa-based solar energy provider SPS (Pty) Ltd., with whom it is already collaborating in the development of various clean energy projects in Seychelles.  

The training program launching ceremony was attended by several members of the Seychelles government along with the British High Commissioner to Seychelles, Patrick Lynch. According to Patrik Lynch, the training program is an excellent example of the British-Seychelles partnership to tackle climate change and move towards energy transition.

Lynch also said during the launch event, “By providing Seychellois with the skills to work in the fast-growing solar energy sector, we are helping local experts move the country away from expensive and polluting fuels and opening up opportunities for employment and economic growth in local communities.”

The training program will cover key principles in solar energy technologies, including the PV system components & their functions, best practices for installation, and solar power plant operation & maintenance. The program is divided into two courses, where the first course will focus on on-grid systems (embedded generation). The second one is an advanced course offered three months later, which covers off-grid systems and battery storage technology.  

The solar capacity building program will target technicians, engineers and other professionals with electrical, electronic, mechanical or similar backgrounds. It also focuses on the students with a strong interest in working in the solar energy sector in the country. Subsequent courses on financial training for officials will be launched by the Seychelles Energy Commission (SEC) and the Ministry of Finance, National Planning and Trade.