VERGNET SA ON BOA VISTA

Small turbine maker Vergnet SA is to connect five 15 kW turbines to diesel generators on the Cape Verde island of Boa-Vista at the end of the year. The aim is to supply over 50% of the island's electricity. Vergnet is building on three years of successful operation of Aerowatt wind turbines on La Desirade in the Caribbean. Marc Vergnet says financing for the project, the first phase of a larger initiative, comes from Caisse Française de Cooperation, an arm of the overseas aid ministry. Funds for the next phases will come from the World Bank's Global Environment Facility.