QUITO, Feb 18, 2008 -- Xinhua

Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa Monday proposed that the Galapagos Islands would become the first area in the country to be free of polluting fuels by 2015, in a boost to the nation's wind power plan.

The Galapagos, which are home to 19,000 people and a host of unique species, hosts the nation's largest wind farm, according to the project's manager, Jose Moscoso.

The system was launched some months ago with three 800kw turbines, whose power will allow San Cristobal, the archipelago's second most populous island with 6,100 residents, to halve its use of diesel power.

"Burning diesel generates greenhouse gases and we are trying to reduce these in a sensible way. We hope to stop emitting 3,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year," Moscoso said.

The project has received financial help from the Group of Eight: the United States, Germany, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Russia and the United Kingdom.

The Ecuadorian government will also promote hydrocarbon substitution programs on the islands of Santa Cruz and Isabella, where solar, wind and biofuel energy will be used.

Located some 1,000 km from the South American mainland, facing the coast of Ecuador in the Pacific Ocean, the islands were placed on the list of World Heritage Sites at Risk from Tourism and Foreign Species in 2007.

The archipelago has 13 main islands and 17 smaller islands. They were first declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Education Science and Culture Organization (Unesco) in 1978. They have been protected as a nature reserve since 2001.

Last year, Correa declared a state of emergency on the island and restricted flights, tourism and residence permits.

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