The Galapagos Islands, home of the unusual flora and fauna that inspired naturalist Charles Darwin’s groundbreaking work on evolution, are striving to promote clean energy that protects the area’s unique biodiversity. Part of that effort is the 2.4-MW San Cristobal Wind Project, which displaces diesel-powered electricity generation. This new energy source will cut greenhouse gas emissions and reduce the risk of devastating diesel-fuel tanker spills in a highly protected environment.
Nicknamed the "Enchanted Islands" because of their stunning scenery, the Galapagos Islands are renowned for their large number of endemic species and the studies by English scientist Charles Darwin that contributed to the inception of his theory of evolution by natural selection. The Galapagos Islands, which are an Ecuadorian province, form an archipelago 600 miles off the coast of Ecuador and consist of 13 major islands, six minor islands, and approximately 40 smaller rock formations scattered throughout 17,000 square miles of ocean. The Galapagos Islands are well known as a worldwide treasure housing a rich diversity of land and marine life from iguanas, sea lions, and giant tortoises to penguins, flightless cormorants, and colorful tropical birds.
The San Cristobal Wind Project is the first stage of a program supported by Ecuador, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and some of the world’s largest electricity companies. U.S. utility American Electric Power (AEP) led the wind energy project on behalf of the "e8," a group of 10 power companies from around the world that promote sustainable energy development by working with local power companies, communities, and governments to build electricity generating and transmission projects. Paul Loeffelman, AEP director of environmental public policy, has been the project’s team leader since its inception (Figure 1).
1. Triple-hitter. The three 800-kW wind turbines, which generate 2.4 MW of clean energy, constitute the first large-scale wind project in Ecuador. Courtesy: American Electric Power
Powering paradise: The move to renewable energy
In January 2001, the fuel tanker Jessica hit a reef and began breaking up in the midst of the Galapagos Islands and spilling an estimated 75,000 gallons of fuel oil and 70,000 gallons of diesel into the pristine environment. Even though a number of birds and other wildlife had to be cleaned by rescue volunteers, meteorological conditions and relatively quick action by a number of response teams, including the U.S. Coast Guard, to control the spill lessened the damage. However, the incident triggered an international initiative to cut the risk of future oil spills by reducing the area’s dependence on diesel fuel to generate electricity.
To that end, the UNDP undertook a resource assessment and feasibility study to promote the goal of bringing renewable energy to the Galapagos Islands. Different renewable strategies were proposed for each of the four inhabited islands of the Galapagos. San Cristobal Island, whose highland hills sit perpendicular to the prevailing ocean winds, was determined to have better wind resources than solar resources. The San Cristobal wind resource can be said to be good, but it would probably not be considered economical for a normal mainland grid-connected system in the U.S. or Europe. The final wind project site selection balanced wind resource, construction access, and the need to avoid nesting and flight areas of the endangered Galapagos petrels. Even with these constraints, the wind project was projected to deliver 50% of the island’s electrical demand on an annual basis and to be a cornerstone of the Ecuadorian government’s goal of making the Galapagos Islands 100% petroleum free.
"This outreach effort represents part of AEP’s perspective on sustainability and a global energy future — we’re providing developing countries with real solutions to attain the basic comfort that electricity provides, while at the same time addressing climate change and environmental issues," said Mike Morris, AEP chairman, president, and CEO, in March 2008 when the San Cristobal Wind Project was dedicated. "It is an excellent illustration of leadership in environmental and technological innovation, public-private partnerships and engagement in the global climate change policy discussion."
The project’s innovative financing included funding from the UN Foundation, UNDP, Ecuadorian taxpayer-directed (check-off) donations, the government of Ecuador, and the e8 companies. The largest contributions came from Ecuador, which provided more than 30% of the project’s funding, and AEP, which provided nearly half of the project’s approximately $10 million cost. However, AEP and the other e8 partners do not make profits from the financial and human resources they invested in this project. "Our strategy is for these partnerships to lead the way for many commercial projects supported by the host country and power companies," Loeffelman said.
