MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Falklands, new energy vision should reach 100% renewable by 2045

The strategic direction that will enhance life in the Falkland Islands by replacing aging and polluting energy infrastructure with modern facilities

A new vision for how the Falkland Islands will achieve its energy ambitions has been approved by Executive Council. The new Energy Strategy and Implementation Plan outline the path for the Falkland Islands to reach 100% renewable energy provision by 2045.

The documents set out a strategic direction that will enhance life in the Falkland Islands by replacing aging and polluting energy infrastructure with modern facilities. The strategy outlines that as the use of renewable energy increases, the use of fossil fuel will decrease.

The Energy Strategy builds upon work completed by the Environment Department and the Public Works Department during 2023-2024 identifying challenges and solutions towards delivering energy independence and security by producing energy through renewable means in a way that builds resilience and reduces external risks.

The Energy Strategy and the prioritized actions identified in the Implementation Plan have been informed through the feedback received during the period of public consultation that was held and through discussion with the business community and other stakeholders.

It was agreed that semi-annual progress reports will be submitted to the Environment Strategy Program Board to facilitate oversight of delivery and review of the Strategy and Implementation Plan.

MLA Peter Biggs, Portfolio Holder for Environment and Public Infrastructure, said: “The Energy Strategy and Implementation Plan aim for the Falkland Islands to have energy that is reliable, affordable, and sustainable. We have already taken important early steps towards achieving this with the development of a new power station and the joint renewable energy project with British Forces South Atlantic Islands to purchase and install new wind turbines for Sand Bay (Phase Three) and Mare Harbor (Phase Two).

Achieving this vision for our future energy supply will ensure that we have increased energy resilience with less reliance on global energy markets. The Strategy and Implementation Plan are vital pieces of work, and I am delighted that they are now in place and that the relevant government departments can now progress towards delivering these aspirations”.

The Energy Strategy and Implementation Plan can be viewed via the following link: https://assembly.gov.fk/.../category/666-01-28-january-2025