Islands that haven been or are beneficiary of technical support of the secretariat
The Island of San Pietro is located in the southwest of Sardinia, and about 5,950 inhabitants live on 51 square kilometres, characterised by pristine beaches and breathtaking scenery. In August 2019, up to 50,000 tourists reached this ‘paradise’. A relevant economic part rests on the sustainable fishing of bluefin tuna, unique for its culinary and healthy properties. On the island, the tuna is also processed and prepared for shipments around the world.
The Portuguese navigators João Gonçalves Zarco and Tristão Vaz Teixeira arrived on the Island of Porto Santo in 1418, the first of the Portuguese discoveries overseas. Having been sent off their course by strong winds while exploring the western coast of Africa, Porto Santo provided them with a safe haven, hence its name, which means Blessed Harbour (Porto Santo).
The Egadi Archipelago, composed of the islands of Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo, is a group of islands located on the North-western coast of Sicily. The population of the whole archipelago is not distributed equally, Favignana is the larger island, i.e., the administrative centre, with 3,407 inhabitants, Marettimo has 648 inhabitants, while Levanzo is the littlest of the three with 208 inhabitants.
The Egadi Archipelago, composed of the islands of Favignana, Levanzo and Marettimo, is a group of islands located on the North-western coast of Sicily. The population of the whole archipelago is not distributed equally, Favignana is the larger island, i.e., the administrative centre, with 3,407 inhabitants, Marettimo has 648 inhabitants, while Levanzo is the littlest of the three with 208 inhabitants.
La Réunion is a French tropical volcanic island lying in the Mascarene Archipelago, Indian Ocean, one of the most preserved biodiversity hot spots in the world.
With 2,512km² of land and managing 315,058 square kilometres of marine exclusive economic area, La Reunion provides a unique presence of France and Europe at the crossroads of Africa and Asia, at the heart of a millenary world system.
Hiiumaa has about 9,558 inhabitants. It is the second-largest island in Estonia and part of the West Estonian archipelago, which is located in the Baltic Sea. The archipelago has an area of 989 square kilometres and is 22 km from the Estonian mainland.How does Hiiumaa produce energy? After the shutdown of Kärdla power plant in 1977, Hiiumaa was integrated into the single Estonian energy system with a cable brought along the seabed from Saaremaa. On the island, the main sources of renewable energy are wood and solar technologies.
The Elafiti is a small archipelago situated northwest of Dubrovnik urban area, within the administrative unit of the City. There are three main islands - Kolocep, Lopud and Sipan with a total surface area of 30km² and a population of fewer than 1,000 people that increases a couple of times during the summer months.
Energy transition
Chios is a Greek island located northeast in the Aegean Sea. It is the fifth-largest island in Greece, with a surface area of 842.29 km2 and a population of approximately 51320 inhabitants. The total length of Chios's coastline is 213 km. Chios is notable for its exports of mastic gum, and the island is also known as "the Mastic Island." Chios is not yet interconnected to the mainland, and electricity is mainly produced by diesel generators. About 11% of electricity comes from renewable energy sources on the island.
Bere Island is on the Southwest coast of Ireland in Bantry Bay. It has a population of 190 people and in the summertime, it reaches over 2,000. The main economic activities are farming, fishing, tourism, and the commercial marine industry.Is Bere Island interconnected to the mainland? Bere Island receives most of its energy from the national grid through a subsea cable from the mainland. Some houses already use renewable energy like windmills and PV solar panels to generate electricity.