The island of Rodrigues has been making significant strides towards transforming its energy landscape. This transition is vital for its environmental sustainability and crucial for fostering economic stability and resilience against the volatile global energy market.
Current energy landscape
Rodrigues has traditionally relied heavily on imported fossil fuels to meet its energy requirements, a common issue faced by all small island nations. This dependency has led to economic and environmental challenges, such as high energy costs and carbon emissions. However, the island's unique geographical and natural resources offer an untapped potential for renewable energy (RE) development, particularly in wind and solar energy. Therefore, increasing the share of renewable energy penetration can be a viable and sustainable solution for decarbonizing the island's energy system.
Local RE initiatives
Rodrigues Island has been actively working towards maximizing its renewable energy potential in recent years. The local government has collaborated with international partners and launched various projects and initiatives to enhance the island's renewable energy capacity. Some of these initiatives include the SSDG FIT Scheme, SSDG Net Metering Scheme, Cooperative Wet Materials Scheme, Home Solar Project, and Green Energy Scheme for SMEs. Solar energy projects have shown significant growth with installations in public buildings, schools, and homes. The island has also taken advantage of its favourable wind conditions to establish wind farms. Although Rodrigues has made a promising start in its transition towards renewable energy, it still faces several challenges. These challenges include high initial costs associated with setting up renewable energy systems, limited technical expertise, and the requirement for efficient energy storage solutions. Furthermore, the island’s remote location and small market size can deter investment and limit access to cutting-edge technologies.
Investment opportunities
Renewable energy and associated green technologies, such as solar and wind power, have become a prime focus for investment in the pursuit of sustainable development. Rodrigues Island is emerging as a trailblazer in this field, with its ambitious targets for renewable energy deployment. The island offers investors committed to the global transition towards clean energy with promising opportunities to support this paradigm shift. These include, for instance, solar energy projects (PV systems and solar thermal technologies for water heating), energy storage solutions to manage intermittency of RE sources, smart grid and microgrid systems to enhance resilience of power supply chains, and capacity building and research to build a skilled workforce and foster innovation on the island.
The long-term vision for Rodrigues
Mr. Franceau Aubret Grandcourt, GOSK, Chief Commissioner and Commissioner for Environment of the Rodrigues Regional Assembly, believes that “Rodrigues needs to adopt a holistic approach to energy planning - incorporating energy efficiency measures and sustainable transport solutions to reduce overall energy demand. Public awareness campaigns and educational programs will be intensified to promote a culture of energy conservation and environmental stewardship among the local population. The Rodrigues Regional Assembly has set an ambitious target to achieve 100% RE penetration into its power mix by 2050. This is a bold commitment that underscores our dedication to sustainability and resilience. Despite our negligible contribution to climate change, we want to showcase our proactive approach to transitioning from fossil fuels. We are currently working on implementable milestones for sustainable and low-carbon pathways to achieve the so-called 3Es (energy security, economic efficiency, and environmental protection). Rodrigues’ journey towards energy transformation highlights the potential of renewable energy in small island developing states and serves as an inspiring example for other small islands worldwide.”
