Seychelles - Energy and power

Practically the whole of Mahé is now supplied with electricity produced by diesel power in Victoria. The total installed capacity increased from 3,400 kW in 1972 to 28,000 kW in 2001, while the output in 2000 reached 160 million kWh, of which 100% came from fossil fuels. Consumption of electricity in 2000 was 148.8 million kWh. Petroleum tar balls from underground seeps were known to occur for many years on the beaches of Coetivy Island, Mahé, and some other islands. Exploration began in 1969 and was continued by Texaco in the 1970s and Amoco in the 1980s. In 1984, the Seychelles National Oil Company (SNOC) was formed as a parastatal company. In late 1992, SNOC reported that studies on the tar balls continued to show the possibility of significant oil potential.