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Wind Power Project for Baltra and Santa Cruz, and Results of the Environmental Impact Study, to be Presented to the Community

On Thursday, July 31, the Project for Renewable Energy for Galapagos (ERGAL) and the Ministry of Environment will make a public presentation of the results of an Environmental Impact Study and the Environmental Management Plan for the Baltra Wind Farm and the proposed transmission line between Baltra and Santa Cruz.

The proposed Santa Cruz-Baltra Wind Power Project will consist of a wind farm on Baltra with transmission lines to Puerto Ayora, Santa Cruz. The purpose of the project is to reduce the consumption of diesel fuel used for power generation. Santa Cruz is the island with greatest energy demand, population and tourism development. The project will involve the construction of a wind farm with the capacity to generate up to 3.2 MW.

The Galapagos ecosystem is as fragile as it is unique. Most of the systems used for producing energy in Galapagos use fossil fuels which cause localized pollution as well as greenhouse gases, which contribute to global warming over the long term.

Benefits of the Baltra-Santa Cruz Wind Power Project include:

• Generation of wind power in excess of 6,000 MWh/year
• Reduction of CO2 emissions of more than 5,000 tons/year
• Reduction of diesel fuel consumption in Santa Cruz of more than 350,000 gallons/year
• Savings of US$460,000/year in direct diesel fuel expenses
• Savings of an additional US$1,186,000/year in diesel fuel subsidies

The feasibility and environmental impact studies for this project concluded that Baltra is the best site for the construction of the wind farm.

The Project for Renewable Energy for the Galapagos Islands (ERGAL) is a project implemented by the Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy under an agreement signed by the Government of Ecuador and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) whose objective is to implement non-conventional systems for generating electricity which will reduce the use of diesel consumption and contribute to the protection of the ecosystems of the archipelago. The project also seeks to substantially reduce the amount of diesel that is shipped to Galapagos, thus reducing the threat of oil spills.

The public presentation will be made at 2:00 pm at the Miguel Cifuentes Center for Environmental Education.