New Caledonia has become the latest member of the Pacific Islands community to embrace solar, with plans for the construction of a 2MW plant on the formerly French territory’s biggest island, Grand Terre.
The solar plant will be built by Conergy Australia, who said on Thursday its decision to branch out into the Pacific Islands has been triggered by the publication of the Abbott government’s review of the Renewable Energy Target (RET) and the continued uncertainty this had fuelled.
The company – a subsidiary of one of the world’s largest solar companies, German-based Conergy – will build the solar plant in the community of Pouembout, using 7,888 Conergy German-made PowerPlus panels, enough to supply electricity to 750 homes.
The plant’s design will be unique, though, with the solar panels to form the shape of a heart, to mirror the island’s “Coeur de Voh” – an area of nearby wild mangrove vegetation that has naturally taken the shape of a heart.
The “Coeur de Voh” gained worldwide recognition thanks to the aerial photography of environmental campaigner Yann Arthus-Bertrand in the best-selling book, “The World from Above.”
A heart-shaped solar plant might not generate quite as much worldwide interest as its natural namesake, but Conergy Australia managing director David McCallum is hoping it will at least capture the attention of the Australian government.
“In Australia and the Pacific Islands, solar is competitive to build and attractive to finance, since operating costs are low with no fuel dependency,” said McCallum.
“With all of the uncertainty in the Australian market, the ‘Heart of New Caledonia’ project will be a giant heart-shaped message to the federal government that it’s time to start loving solar.”
Once completed in the first quarter of next year, the heart-shaped solar plant will save an estimated 2,013,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions over its projected 25-year lifetime, compared with fuel oil, gasoil and coal, which generate the majority of the islands’ power today.
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