Utilities of Seychelles

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Power

Seychelles depends heavily on the import of refined petroleum for domestic and commercial energy consumption needs. There is very limited potential for renewable energy, hydropower and solar water heating. The most prominent electricity company is the state-owned Public Utilities Corporation, which was created in 1996 when it merged with the Seychelles Water Authority and the Seychelles Electricity Corporation – the company is responsible for providing electricity services to the population of the Seychelles.

In 2005 the state-owned Seychelles National Oil Company and the Seychelles Petroleum Company approved an offer from PetroQuest International, allowing the company to search for oil and natural gas resources in a 30,000 sq km area on the Seychelles’ southern shelf.

 

Water

The principle source of clean water on the main islands of Seychelles is numerous freshwater rivers and streams, but extreme rainfall patterns cause their flows to be erratic with frequent prolonged periods of drought. Four seawater desalination plants, two on Mahé Island, one on Praslin and one on La Digue Island, compensate for water shortages during the dry period. The Public Utilities Corporation is responsible for the storage, treatment and distribution of potable water, as well as the collection, treatment and disposal of sewage. The Central Sewerage Treatment Plant in Victoria and Beau Vallon also treats water.

 

Telecoms

In Seychelles, there are 321 main telephone lines, 1,457 mobile phone subscriptions and 432 internet users per 1,000 people (2011). The three main telecoms operators in Seychelles are the private companies Cable and Wireless, Airtel Seychelles and Intelvision. Fixed local and international telecoms lines in the country are operated by Cable and Wireless, a branch of Cable and Wireless Olc, UK, which serves as the country’s national telecoms operator. Airtel Seychelles was launched in 1998, becoming Seychelles first mobile phone operator. Following this, Intelvision became Seychelles’ third telecoms provider in 2006, offering fixed telephony and internet access services. There are 216 personal computers per 1,000 people (2007).