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MAY 2015 ISSUE 17
NEWSLETTERE C O N O M I C D E V E LO P M E N T D I V I S I O N
Pacific Energiser
http://prdrse4all.spc.int
NEWSLETTERE C O N O M I C D E V E L O P M E N T D I V I S I O NPacific Energiser ISSUEMAY 2015
17
18
6
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Disclaimer: All care and diligence has been used in extracting, analysing and compiling this publication, however, SPC gives no warranty that the information provided is without error.
In this issue:LEADERSHIP, GOVERNANCE, COORDINATION AND PARTNERSHIPS
South-South Cooperation to address sustainable energy challenges in the PICTs ......................................................................5
South-South Cooperation: Tonga tour experience .....................................6
South-South Cooperation: Fiji tour experience ...........................................7
Updates from the Fifth Meeting of the Pacific Energy Advisory Group ......................................................................9
Tuvalu continues on its path to energy security ..........................................10
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT, PLANNING, POLICY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS
The Kiribati Integrated Energy Roadmap (KIER) under development ..........................................................................................11
ENERGY PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY (PETROLEUM)
Pacific petroleum prices and alternative fuels discussed at regional meeting ........................................................................13
Fourth quarter 2014 Oil Market Report (October–December) .................14
Study on LPG and Natural Gas as Alternative Energy Sources for the Pacific .....................................................................................17
ENERGY PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY (RENEWABLE ENERGY)
“Make it Happen” Solar shops for the women in Kou Kou and Gorari villages along the Kokoda Track, Oro Province, PNG ................................18
European Union Pacific Technical and Vocational Education and Training on Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Adaptation Project (EU PacTVET) ................................................................20
Small Island Developing States are leading the way in renewable energy deployment .......................................................................22
Promising clean energy source for community water pumping in the Kingdom of Tonga ................................................................................24
ENERGY CONVERSION
Power benchmarking case stories ..................................................................25
END-USE ENERGY CONSUMPTION
Improving Pacific appliance energy efficiency through sharing best practice ........................................................................................26
LifeCycle Fiji – Providing a Holistically Healthy Energy Solution through Land Transport Efficiency Measures ..............................................27
ENERGY DATA AND INFORMATION
Pacific Regional Data Repository meeting highlights .................................29
OTHER NEWS
New Caledonia Earth hour 2015 ....................................................................31
Welcome to SPC ...............................................................................................31
PACIFIC ENERGY EVENTS CALENDER (MAY–DECEMBER 2015) ......................................................................32
Cover photo supplied by Kuini Rabo
Message from Deputy Director (Energy), Economic Development Division, SPC
Solomone Fifita
Editorial
Bula everyone
A rather belated Happy New Year to you all and welcome
to the first issue of Pacific Energiser for 2015.
The new year is both a time to look at the past and its
challenges and a time to look at new opportunities and
adopt new resolutions with a sense of optimism. In terms
of the almost 35 year-old regional energy programme, it
is about ensuring that we remain relevant to the needs of
the Pacific Island countries and territories. For despite that
fact that there many choices out there, there will always
be niches for the members of the Council of Regional
Organisations in the Pacific to fill.
We are now entering the 5th year of the Framework for
Action on Energy Security in the Pacific (FAESP) so this is
a good time to be reminded of the two premises forming
the foundation of FAESP:
* Many partners, one team
* Whole-of-sector approach
These two premises remain as relevant as they were 35
years ago. In terms of the former, we are currently finalising
a report on an improved system of implementation,
coordination, reporting, and monitoring and evaluation
for FAESP. This will not only improve the effectiveness
of our combined delivery effort, it will also improve our
accountability to the development partners and to our
members alike.
In terms of the second premise, the whole-of-sector
approach, we continue to emphasise that addressing the
sustainable energy challenges of the region cannot be
addressed with renewable energy alone. Petroleum, energy
efficiency, capacity building and legislative frameworks
should also be part of the equation.
In terms of renewable energy, we are optimistic that
the implementation of new sub-regional and bilateral
projects under European Development Fund 11 will kick
off during year. Equally, fingers are crossed for a decision
in the next Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM 7) for a
continuation of the Pacific Environment Community Fund.
In petroleum, the continuing decrease in world prices is
a welcome relief. In early February, Samoa announced a
decrease in the retail price for petrol by 35.6 sene from
WST 2.78 to WST 2.42 per litre, while diesel decreased
by 32.8 sene from WST 2.83 to WST 2.50 per litre and
kerosene decreased by 35.1 sene from WST 2.65 to WST
2.30. At the same time, Tongans are getting familiar with
the monthly announcements of the decreases in fuel
prices, together with corresponding decreases in the
power tariff. Regrettably, some countries are missing out
on these millions of dollars of savings and hence the need
to revisit the supply and pricing arrangements. But it is
in fact a time to make hay too, and consider diverting
some of these savings to invest in renewable energy and
energy efficiency.
On energy efficiency, we note the final forum for the
Asian Deveopment Bank (ADB) project Promoting Energy
Efficiency in the Pacific, where the achievements of this
project will be showcased in Samoa, Partners and the
recipient countries will certainly be pleased to see some
continuation from where this project will end.
It is pleasing to see the European Union-funded project
– Technical and Vocational Education and Training on
Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Adaptation
(PACTVET) – getting of f the ground. The project is
implemented by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community
(SPC) in partnership with the University of the South Pacific
and will certainly fill the void created by the absence of
targeted and accredited training and pathways related
to sustainable energy and climate change adaptation. A
regional seminar on 17–19 February that was financially
supported by the European Union and the governments
of Australia and New Zealand, in collaboration with the
South Pacific Board for Education Quality and the Pacific
Islands Forum Secretariat, considered the need for an
effective region-wide mechanism for the recognition of
qualifications to facilitate greater labour mobility among
the countries negotiating the Pacific Agreement on Closer
Economic Relations (PACER) Plus. The PACTVET project
will no doubt add value to this noble effort.
4
EDITORIAL
Pac i f i c e n e r g i s e r
It would be extremely hard to find any energy sector reviews
in the Pacific region where the absence of a legislative
framework is not mentioned as a key constraint. With
the increasing political awareness of and commitments
to the UN’s decade of sustainable energy for all [SE4ALL
2014–2024], reform in the energy sector is a must. This
has been highlighted in the joint SPC-ADB Pacific and
Caribbean Conference on Ef fective and Sustainable
Regulation of Power and Water Services, as well as at the
August 2014 SPC–IRENA (International Renewable Energy
Agency) training on energy data and policy mechanisms
to support implementation of renewable energy targets. I
am pleased to note that the meeting of the Pacific Energy
Advisory Group in December endorsed the recruitment
of an Energy Policy and Regulation Adviser and we look
forward to making the services of this position available
to members before the end of the first quarter of 2015.
For SPC specially, the consensus reached by the Steering
Committee for the Pacific Regional Data Repository (PRDR)
to recommend to ministers that SPC be the permanent
host of PRDR is a testament to the confidence and
optimism we have for 2015. Furthermore, we launched
three SE4ALL partnerships at the Third Small Island
Developing States Conference in September last year.
To be able to open 2015 with a translation of these into
actual projects on the ground through the launch of the
Small Energy Projects Programme is an addition to the
list. We certainly look forward to the outcome of the
bid to host the United Nations Industrial Development
Organization’s Pacific Centre for Renewable Energy and
Energy Efficiency, as well as the opportunities the centre
will bring to the region.
There is definitely going to be a lot of work on the new
Framework for Pacific Regionalism, which replaces the
Pacific Plan in 2015, and there is also the proposed
World Bank regional report – Pacific Possible – which will
certainly result in a more focussed and effective regional
energy service delivery.
With my best wishes for the year ahead of us.
Malo ‘Aupito
Solomone
5
LEADERSHIP, GOVERNANCE, COORDINATION AND PARTNERSHIPS
South-South Cooperation to address sustainable energy challenges in the PICTs
Keen to learn from the experience of Tonga’s renewable energy implementation strategies, representatives from Tuvalu and
Kiribati’s power sector, facilitated by SPC’s energy programme participated in a week-long study tour (16 –20 February).
Similarly, energy officials from Samoa and Kiribati undertook a one week study tour to Fiji to learn Fiji’s experience in
implementing its energy labelling and standards for refrigerators and freezers.
These tours are part of the south-south cooperation for
capacity building and development programme supported
by the New Zealand Government. The participation of
Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs) in the
Programme provides an ideal opportunity to progress
Pacific Leaders commitment articulated in the Majuro
Declaration (2013) on Climate Change leadership. The
commitments in Majuro was further reinforced at the
Pacific Regional Energy Minister’s meeting calling for
expansion of private sector involvement in renewable
energy investments and raising the professionalism and
quality of the design and installation of renewable energy
systems in the PICTs.
Based on common development challenges and shared
economic, environment and social aspirations, the south-
south cooperation model is now seen and applied as new
ways of working, sharing experiences and information,
as well as exchanging of new ideas and resources, and
strengthening existing and developing new partnerships
to ensure the most effective use of resources. South-south
is also identified as a key solution to today’s development
challenges especially in the renewable energy sector.
For Kiribati and Tuvalu, their participation in the south-
south cooperation programme was to learn from Tonga’s
experience in the installation, operation and maintenance
of solar generation facilities, and renewable energy
technologies. More specifically, the visiting PICTs sort
to gain a better understanding how Tonga manages the
additional f loating loads maintained by diesel engine
generators along with solar generation. What was also
important for the two Island countries, to obtain an
understanding of Tonga’s policy framework relating to
Power Purchase Agreement relating tariff setting and
payment options and plans, and how this can be applied
in their respective countries.
Likewise, the governments of Samoa and Kiribati are
currently working towards finalising their legislations
for labelling and standards for refrigerators, freezers, air
conditioning units and lights. Their participation in the
south-south cooperation programme enabled them to visit
Fiji and learn from Fiji’s Department of Energy’s effort
to implement its labelling standard since 2012. This also
provided an opportunity for the two PICTs to understand
the monitoring and evaluation tool for energy efficient
electrical appliances such as air conditioning units,
refrigerators, freezers and lighting and how this could
be applied in their respective country. It’s expected that
lessons learned by Kiribati and Samoa relating to operating
procedures, retailer’s experience and enforcement will
assist these two countries finalise their legislation to
enable them put in place labelling standard promoting
energy efficient appliances.
For more information:
Caroline Tupoulahi-FusimalohiResearch and Information Adviser, EDD, SPCCarolineT@spc.int
I S S U E 17 | M AY 2 015
6
LEADERSHIP, GOVERNANCE, COORDINATION AND PARTNERSHIPS
South-South Cooperation to address sustainable energy challenges in the PICTs
Tonga tour experience
Two senior energy officials from Kiribati and Tuvalu benefitted from a recent study tour of energy facilities in Tonga.
Motivated by actual on-the-ground challenges in their own energy sectors, the study was aimed at learning practical
measures from a neighbouring country and applying them to real practical challenges in their home country.
Tuvalu is currently on target with its aim to
be 100% electrified with renewable energy
by 2020. It has a strategy to reach this
target with 60–95% solar photo-voltaic (PV)
energy, 0–40% wind power, 5% biodiesel and
30% energy efficiency. With the generous
assistance of the New Zealand government,
Tuvalu is currently installing solar PV
systems on the islands of Niutao, Nanumea,
Nanumanga and Vaitupu. Furthermore, the
European Union, the World Bank, Japan
and United Arab Emirates are also funding
solar PV installation in Tuvalu.
Mafalu Lotolua, General Manager of the
Tuvalu Electricity Corporation, was keen to
learn from the experiences of Tonga Power
Ltd since the commissioning of its Maama Mai and La’a
Lahi solar facilities in terms of technical problems, fuel
savings, and how the maintenance and replacement of
parts are reflected in the tariff setting. He was also keen
to learn about the micro-grid control system at the Vaini
solar facility.
Kiribati, on the other hand, currently has a 400 kW grid-
connected PV system in place. It is about to install another
one at Bonriki (where the Public Utility Board main water
system is). Another 500 kW will be located at Nawerewere
Hospital (roof type system), and also at King George V
School (roof type system). Altogether, the renewable energy
installations will have an output of 1300 kW, which will
be a major challenge to their existing diesel network and
the overall stability of the whole power system.
Ioata Remon, Power Generation Electrician on the Kiribati
Public Utilities Board learnt about possible energy sector
problems and how Tonga overcame the ones they faced,
and he will also learn what extra f loating loads diesel
generators should retain, based on the inputs from the
solar generation.
Sustainability is the paramount consideration; the two
officials observed the need to exercise due diligence in
the selection of contractors and suppliers, who should
provide long-term back-up support by way of honouring
the warranties associated with their services and products.
Furthermore, there is a need for consistency in the
Pac i f i c e n e r g i s e r
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LEADERSHIP, GOVERNANCE, COORDINATION AND PARTNERSHIPS
specifications of the solar PV equipment and the way it
is installed.
‘In Tuvalu, there are five donors providing solar PV
equipment. From this training in Tonga, we can see the
need to have some kind of government guidelines so that
our generous development partners can all work towards
the same quality and standard,’ said Mr Lotolua.
And Mr Remon said, ‘I have seen and learnt a lot of
things and, through discussions with the staff of Tonga
Power Ltd, I see that long-term training support is the key
in Kiribati’s case. It The usual hands-on training during
installation and commissioning is not sufficient. Neither
is the troubleshooting checklist that contractors usually
leave behind. Real problems arise after the first six months
of operations and the ability of the local technicians
to address these problems determines the success or
otherwise of these grid-connected PV systems. We learn
by doing, but with the sophistication of the technology
nowadays, we need to work alongside our contractors
for a longer period of time in order that the skills and
know-how are properly transferred to the local engineers
and technicians.’
South-South Cooperation is about promoting self-reliance
among developing countries through the exchange of
experience, the pooling and sharing of resources, and the
search for solutions to their own development problems, in
keeping with their values and cultural context. The New
Zealand Aid Programme is making funding available to SPC
to capitalise on this approach and SPC’s Energy Programme
has conducted parallel study tours on management of
the safety of petroleum products handling and storage,
and implementing legislation on appliance labelling and
standards.
For more information:Solomone FifitaDeputy Director (Energy)Energy Programme, EDD, SPCSolomoneF@spc.int
Fiji tour experience
Twelve Pacific Island countries are part of the Pacific Appliance Labelling and Standard (PALS) programme, which is
coordinated by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC). The overall goal is to reduce national electricity and fossil
fuel demand.
The twelve countries have developed or are developing
their national legislation and regulations that ensure
that major electricity-consuming appliances such as
refrigerators, freezers, air-conditioners and lights meet
a minimum level of legally enforceable performance
standards, and that labels are affixed to these products
to inform consumers about the energy rating. Minimum
energy performance standards prevent the least efficient
products from entering a country, and energy labelling
allows consumers to purchase the most efficient products
on the market. Fiji is leading the Pacific Island countries
in this, having adopted its own labelling and standards
programme in 2012.
Mr Sione Foliaki, Assistant Chief Executive Officer of
Samoa's Energy Unit, was in Fiji last week participating
in a two-day study tour of Fiji's Department of Energy. As
the Samoa Energy Unit prepares to implement their soon-
to-be finalised legislation for labelling and standards, this
tour provided some concrete experiences for Mr Foliaki
and his team to learn from. He shared his thoughts with
Makereta Lomaloma of the Secretariat of the Pacific
Community on what he learned from the tour.
Q: How useful was the tour for you? And what part of
it was most interesting?
This tour was very important for us since we do not have
any reference information to start off with. Fiji is the only
country in the Pacific implementing this programme. We
can use the experiences and information learnt here as
a reference in terms of developing our own procedures,
documents, etc. and we won’t to reinvent the wheel.
I found the partnership element to be most interesting.
Seeing the Department of Energy work with other ministries
and entities like the Fiji Customs Authority shows how
partnership is key to achieving the over-arching vision
of the programme. It may not be perfect, but they work
together to move forward and that is important.
I S S U E 17 | M AY 2 015
8
LEADERSHIP, GOVERNANCE, COORDINATION AND PARTNERSHIPS
Q: How does what you have learned
in Fiji help in terms of the challenges
of implementing your own labelling
and standards programme?
This prog ramme wi l l g ive us the
opportunity to achieve the overarching
objective of our energy sector plan; rate
of fossil fuel supply by 10% by 2016.
The main challenge to implementing a
programme like Fiji’s is the budget. Also,
most of Samoa’s population are low
income earners. With a programme like
Fiji’s, much of Samoa’s population would
be at a disadvantage because they cannot
afford the appliances. Another challenge
would be to change the mindset of people
towards energy ef ficient appliances.
People just look at the prices of appliances
and make up their minds; if we educate them to see the
benefits of purchasing energy efficient appliances, they
will understand and be convinced. Making the customer
understand is important and this will be part of our work.
The two-day tour was organised by SPC through its
Pacific Appliance Labelling and Standards Programme
and funded by the New Zealand Aid Programme through
its South-South Cooperation.
For more information:Makereta LomalomaEnergy Efficiency Adviser,Energy Programme, EDD, SPCMakeretaL@spc.int
Shop f loor audit of freezers and fridges in one of Fiji's retail outlets
Pac i f i c e n e r g i s e r
9
LEADERSHIP, GOVERNANCE, COORDINATION AND PARTNERSHIPS
Updates from the Fifth Meeting of the Pacific Energy Advisory Group
The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) hosted the Fifth Meeting of the Pacific Energy Advisory Group (PEAG) from
8–10 December, 2014 in Suva, Fiji.
In 2010 when the Framework for Action on Energy Security
in the Pacific (FAESP) was endorsed, two consultation
mechanisms were established to ensure that the vision of
the Framework will be achieved in a collaborative manner.
The Pacific Energy Oversight Group (PEOG) is made up
of regional agencies (CROP plus International Union for
Conservation of Nature) to provide oversight among the
regional agencies implementing the Implementation Plan
of the FAESP or IPESP.
The PEAG consists of the PEOG plus selected country
representatives, the industry and development partners.
The purpose of the PEAG is to discuss Pacific energy
issues and provide guidance to the PEOG and development
partners/donors through an integrated approach of ‘many
partners, one team’.
The purpose of the meeting was to update the PEAG on
the implementation of the outcome of the second joint
regional meeting of energy and transport ministers held
in April 2014; to seek guidance on the development of
the new Implementation Plan for 2015–2020; and to get
inputs into the finalisation of the CROP agencies’ work
programme and budget for 2015.
Highlights of the meeting outcomes
The meeting:
1. noted the progress with the implementation
of the Denarau Communique and noted the
completion of the region’s inputs to the SIDS
Conference, particularly the launching of
the Pacific Regional Data Repository (PRDR)
and the announcement of several sustainable
energy partnerships for the Pacific Islands.
2. noted SPC’s effort to compile (a stocktake)
the existing energy policies, legislations and
activities in the Pacific Island countries and
territories (PICTs) and recalled the energy
ministers’ call for a combined PRIF/PEAG
report of energy activities and projects in
the PICTs.
3. presented with suggested issues and
solutions to high levels of solar photovoltaic
penetration to the grid based on case studies
and experiences from typical small island
grids.
4. updated on the outcome of the regional
Petroleum Workshop on 1 – 5 December and
acknowledged the work of the Petroleum
Advisory Services of SPC in the areas of
petroleum market analysis and pricing
support, auditing for safety standards as well
as on fuel alternatives.
5. noted the PRIF’s effort on updating
the Pacific Infrastructure Performance
Indicators, the Power Utility Benchmarking,
LPG/LNG Assessment, the due diligence
of the Nuku’alofa Distribution Network
Upgrade Project as well as the Kiribati Utility
Reform.
6. presented with the preliminary findings of
the works that are underway to draft a new
Implementation Plan for the FAESP.
For more information:Atishma LalProject Information Assistant,Energy Programme, EDD, SPCAtishmaL@spc.int
Full meeting outcomes is available on PRDR portal.http://prdrse4all.spc.int/production/node/4/content/summary-
record-meeting-outcomes-5th-peag-meeting-2014
I S S U E 17 | M AY 2 015
10
Tuvalu continues on its path to energy security
According to the 2009 energy security indicator country profile, Tuvalu’s energy consumption scenario totaled 168 TJ with
petroleum fuels accounting for 99.97% and renewable energy contribution from solar accounting for 0.03%.
In 2010, Tuvalu adopted its Enetise Tutumau (Renewable
Energy Master Plan) with its objective of generating
electricity with 100% renewable energy by 2020 and to
increase energy efficiency on Funafuti by 30%.
Since then Tuvalu has gone out of its way to establish
partnerships with developments partners to implement
its Master Plan.
With the generous assistance of the New Zealand
government, Tuvalu is currently installing mini grid
solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on the islands of Niutao,
Nanumea, Nanumanga and Vaitupu. Also the European
Union is funding mini grids solar PV systems for the
islands of Nukulaelae, Nukufetau and Nui. Furthermore,
the World Bank, Finland, Italy and United Arab Emirates
are also funding solar PV installation in Tuvalu.
The SIDS DOCK Support Program is a joint initiative of the
United Nations Development Programme and the World
Bank, developed in close consultation with the Alliance
of Small Island States. This initiative aims to support
Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to transition to low
carbon economies through development and deployment
of renewable energy resources and promotion of greater
energy efficiency.
The Tuvalu Electricity Corporation (TEC) has proposed
the design, development and construction of an energy
efficiency demonstration house (“Demo Fale”) to showcase
the application of energy efficiency technology and technique
applications including for household appliances. It will
also feature renewable energy technology applications.
Hence, it will be a demonstration piece for the utilisation
of renewable energy in residential buildings (e.g., solar PV
roofs for electricity generation and utilisation in the house)
and the application of energy efficient construction and
structural design features and energy efficient appliances.
The Abu Dhabi Government has, through the Abu Dhabi
Fund for Development allocated grant funding of USD
5million to the Government of Tuvalu to build and
commission the Project of Solar PV power plant of a total
up to 350kWp. The project is under construction and will
be commissioned at the end of May 2015.
Early this year (26 January), The World Bank’s Board
of Executive Directors approved USD 7 million for the
Tuvalu Energy Sector Development Project (ESDP) and
an additional USD 2.1 million will be provided by the
World Bank’s SIDS DOCK Support Program for Small
Island Developing States.
The Tuvalu ESDP will support a reduction in the reliance
on imported fuel for electricity generation through
investment in renewable energy development, increasing
the efficiency of energy supply and use, and improving the
capacity of the Government of Tuvalu and the national
energy supplier – the Tuvalu Electricity Corporation– to
better manage energy delivery.
Specifically, the project will increase the proportion of
renewable energy in TEC’s electricity generation system
through the supply and installation of solar and wind power
infrastructure, systems to provide power grid stability
and store excess energy produced. The project will also
promote more efficient energy use through the supply and
installation of prepayment meters for TEC customers and
smart meters for large consumers, along with enhanced
insulation and other energy efficiency measures. TEC
and the Government will receive technical assistance and
training to enable staff to effectively implement the project.
Tuvalu is firm on its commitment to address its vulnerability
to climate change and the f luctuating international oil
market prices. It was among the first to sign the Convention
on Biological Diversity at the first ever Summit of
Leaders – United Nations Conference on Environment
and Development held in 1992 at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
In 1998, Tuvalu signed and ratified the Kyoto Protocol at
the same time and the history repeated itself as Tuvalu
became the first to sign and ratify the SIDS Dock Statute
during the 2014 SIDS Conference in Samoa. For the Pacific,
Tuvalu was joined by Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru,
Niue, Palau and Samoa in signing the statute.
For more information:Mafalu LotoluaGeneral Manager, Tuvalu Electricity Corporationmlotolua@tectuvalu.tv or mafaluloto2@gmail.com
LEADERSHIP, GOVERNANCE, COORDINATION AND PARTNERSHIPS
Pac i f i c e n e r g i s e r
11
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT, PLANNING, POLICY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS
I S S U E 17 | M AY 2 015
The Kiribati Integrated Energy Roadmap (KIER) under development
In 2011, Kiribati joined Pacific Island leaders in collectively agreeing on the value of developing credible, comprehensive
plans to improve energy security, reduce dependence on fossil fuels and increase access to electricity. In its three-year
strategic plan (2012–2015), the Ministry of Public Works and Utilities (MPWU) highlighted the need to have a long-term
plan (roadmap) for the energy sector. In response to these calls for action, the Energy Planning Unit of the MPWU sent an
expression of interest to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community
(SPC) to provide technical assistance and support to initiate the development of the Kiribati Integrated Energy Roadmap
(KIER).
Terms of reference for the development of KIER were drafted
by SPC in collaboration with IRENA and the Pacific Power
Association (PPA), and disseminated to the development
partners that have energy projects in Kiribati, including
the European Union, the International Development Group
of New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade,
the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the Pacific
Islands Forum and the United Arab Emirates.
The proposed KIER will be comprised of a policy framework
with specific targets and a set of priority actions, with
associated cost estimates and specific timelines. The
KIER will present a packaged plan of institutional, policy,
regulatory, technical, financial and capacity building
actions that collectively will enable the Government of
Kiribati to achieve its energy objectives. KIER will give a
comprehensive and interrelated overview of the Kiribati
energy sector including:
Ș renewable energy options for power generation
(solar, wind, biomass, ocean);
Ș energy efficiency in electricity supply, including
supply side management;
Ș energy efficiency in electricity consumption,
including demand side management;
Ș supply of petroleum products;
Ș bio-energy, including solid biomass, liquid
biofuels and biogas;
Ș renewable energy for transport (road and sea);
Ș energy efficiency and conservation for transport
(road and sea);
Ș renewable energy-powered sea-water
desalination; and
Ș cleaner cooking fuels and efficient cooking
technologies.
The Government of Kiribati has already taken initial
action to develop KIER. With the support of IRENA,
it has cooperatively conducted a renewable readiness
assessment (RRA) that examined the status and prospects
of renewable energy deployment in the country, identified
issues that need urgent attention or promotion, and defined
concrete actions.
When defining renewable energy targets, the RRA considered
the large differences between the energy systems of the
three major island groups (South Tarawa, Kiritimati and
the outer islands).
Ș The goal for Tarawa is a 45% reduction in
energy coming from fossil fuels for electricity
generation by 2025 compared to business as
usual (BAU).1 This goal will be met through a
23% reduction of fuel use for power generation
and a 22% reduction from improvements to
energy efficiency on both the supply and
demand side.
Ș The goal for Kiritimati is a 60% reduction in
energy coming from fossil fuels for electricity
generation by 2025 compared to business as
usual. It is anticipated that 40% of this reduction
will come from solar energy and biofuels, while
the remaining 20% will come from improvement
to energy efficiency on both the supply and
demand side.
Ș For the outer islands, it is proposed that any
expansion in electricity generation be met
through renewable energy and that existing
diesel generation used by island councils,
government and schools be converted to
renewable energy by 2025. The goal is to have
at least 60% renewable energy by 2025 in rural
1 The roadmap will define the business as usual scenario and determine the growth of fossil fuel consumption for electricity.
12
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT, PLANNING, POLICY AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORKS
Pac i f i c e n e r g i s e r
public infrastructures (e.g. the Tabiteuea North
Hospital and ice plants) and 100% renewable
energy for rural public and private institutions.
As part of developing KIER, a joint scoping mission to
Tarawa was conducted on 23 to 27 February 2015 by
representatives from IRENA, SPC and PPA. The visit was
to present to the KIER National Steering Committee the
terms of reference for developing KIER, including the
methodologies to be used, expected outputs, activities
and timelines. The terms of reference are to guide the
development of KIER, including the roadmap outline and
the contributions of development partners. The National
Steering Committee is to guide and provide advice on the
development of KIER. The committee is made up of the
existing Energy Sector Working Group of the government
and other relevant ministries and stakeholders, including
the Office of the President.
The committee approved the draft terms of reference but
adjustment to the timelines was considered, because the
current government will complete its term by November so
KIER should be submitted to the government by October
this year rather than November. A final copy of the terms
of reference is posted on the Pacific Regional
Data Repository (PRDR).2
The IRENA, SPC and PPA team also facilitated a one-
day national energy roadmap workshop and engaged
the participants in a review of priority activities that
had been identified through various consultations held
since the Kiribati National Energy Policy was endorsed
in 2009. Although the policy was endorsed in 2009,
energy sector planning has been segmented, with limited
coordination. The Energy Planning Unit of the MPWU
through a presentation to the KIER NSC highlighted the
importance of KIER:
Ș it is an implementation plan that will set out
strategies and activities to achieve the vision of
the Kiribati National Energy Policy;
Ș it will cover all energy-related sectors focussing
on petroleum, electricity and transport but
incorporating renewable energy and energy
efficiency aspects;
Ș it will lay out planned activities in achieving
renewable energy and energy efficience targets;
Ș it will guide the investment developments for
2 http://prdrse4all.spc.int/production/node/4/content/terms-reference-kiribati-integrated-energy-roadmap-kier
identified energy sectors over the planned
period until 2025;
Ș it will include a transport sector energy
reduction target;
Ș it will be used as a working document for the
government in the energy sector;
Ș the planning and coordination of the energy
sector activities in Kiribati can be improved.
In developing KIER, SPC has collated energy datasets,
including technical publications on past and present energy
projects. This information is being collated and archived in
the following SPC Pacific Regional Data Repository links;
Kiribati raw data-sets
Kiribati technical publications
Kiribati energy raw data archive
Kiribati policies and plans
Kiribati scoping mission and consultation
For more information:Koin EtuatiEnergy Policy OfficerEnergy Programme, EDD, SPCKoinE@spc.int
13
Pacific petroleum prices and alternative fuels discussed at regional meeting
‘The reality is that petroleum fuels are the main energy source for Pacific Islands, accounting for over 95% of all of our
regional energy needs. Transportation by land, sea and air accounts for up to 75% of that usage. Petroleum fuels also
generate most of the electricity used in Pacific households, and in the commerce, education and health services. They also
power our industries and support our tourism,’ said John Hogan, Director of SPC’s Economic Development Division, in
opening a five-day petroleum meeting in Suva, Fiji.
Responding to the energy and transport
ministers’ meeting held in Denarau in April
last year, SPC’s Energy Programme held a
petroleum meeting from 1–5 December in
Suva, Fiji. Petroleum officials and experts
from Pacific governments, government-
owned enterprises and the private sector
discussed fuel-pricing mechanisms in the
region and shared country experiences.
The meeting included discussions of the
newly developed SPC fuel pricing manual,
the development of a regional fuel industry
code of practice, and capacity building of
officials on regional fuel industry standards.
It also provided an update on emerging
technologies in alternative liquid fuels
and a review of the current status of
development of renewable and alternative
fuel projects in the region.
A fundamental part of the meeting was an
update given by the lead consultant of the
gas energy study that SPC embarked on
earlier this year, in cooperation with the
World Bank, the Pacific Regional Infrastructure Facility
and the Pacific Power Association.
American Samoa, Samoa and Fiji presented their success
stories on their efforts to consistently achieve the lowest
fuel prices in the region, and Solomon Islands’ South Pacific
Oil Ltd shared its recent experience on the importance
of developing a sound request for tender conditions for
fuel supply, which can allow a country to maximise on
negotiations, achieve all that it requires and maintain
business at a low cost, while achieving significant savings
from purchase of fuel from a sole supplier.
The participants acknowledged the technical assistance
and pricing information that SPC’s Petroleum Advisory
Services continues to provide, and noted that the monthly
petroleum price review report and the Pacific Fuel Price
Monitor produced by SPC are extremely useful, providing
a regional benchmark and assisting government officials
to make informed policy decisions.
For more information:Pritanshu SinghAssistant Petroleum OfficerEnergy Programme, EDD, SPCPritanshuS@spc.int
ENERGY PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY | PETROLEUM
Aviation industry also requires fuel. Re-fuelling at Nausori International
Airport, Fiji
I S S U E 17 | M AY 2 015
14
Fourth quarter 2014 Oil Market Report (October–December)The Asia Pacific benchmark Dated Brent crude averaged at USD 87.80/bbl in October, representing a decline of USD 11/
bbl from the previous month. Weak oil market fundamentals, a stronger dollar and financial-related sell-offs continued to
pressure crude oil markets. In comparison to the third quarter of 2014, the price of Dated Brent crude in the fourth quarter
decreased by USD 26.53/bbl from USD 107.04/bbl to USD 79.71/bbl.
*Note: Platts lowered the sulfur specification of its f lagship Singapore Gasoil assessment to Gasoil 500 ppm (from Gasoil
5000 ppm) on 2 January 2013, which explains why gasoil 500 ppm and gasoil prices are the same from 2 January 2013.
The Asian petroleum market lost some ground during October as a result of increased supplies within the region amid
weaker demand. Increased supply exerted pressure on gasoline market as growing export volumes seen from Japan and
South Korea outweighed support from peak autumn refinery maintenance levels in the region, thus causing the Asian
gasoline price to fall. Price of Asian jet/kerosene decreased in October due to poor buying interest for kerosene from
Japan as winter storing was lower this year due to weak market sentiments and falling Japanese yen. Furthermore
the Asian gasoil prices decreased as the gasoil market remained heavy on supply due to new refineries coming online
in the Middle East and China amid thin buying interest in the region.
Dated Brent crude finished down USD 8.04 at USD 79.77/bbl in November, amid increasing supplies and sluggish global
growth. The Asian petroleum product market continued to weaken in November. Asian gasoline market weakened as
supply side continued to pressure with increasing export volumes seen from Japan and South Korea, and from other
refineries that returned from peak autumn maintenance. Asian jet/kerosene price fell due to tight regional supply amid
delays in winter demand from Japan while Asian gasoil price continued to be dragged down as well by the international
crude oil complex along with expectations of increased volumes in the next few months with new refinery start-ups
and upgrades in the Middle East.
ENERGY PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY | PETROLEUM
Pac i f i c e n e r g i s e r
15
December 2014 saw crude oil prices fall from above USD 70 to below USD 60 USD per barrel over the month, averaging
at USD 63.57/bbl. A global glut of crude oil and petroleum products is related to rising North American production,
combined with lower than forecast demand overseas. Asian petroleum product market slightly weakened in December
as increasing supplies outweighed firm regional demand. Continued export from Japan, China and South Korea caused
inventories in Singapore to rise causing supply to outweigh strong regional demand hence keeping the gasoline market
pressured and causing gasoline price to fall. The Asian jet fuel/kerosene price decreased due to overhanging supply of
kerosene and a weaker crude complex. Thin import demand from North Asia due to sufficient stockpiles of kerosene
and higher domestic production further caused a decrease in jet fuel prices. The Asian gasoil price exhibited drop due
to the market being pressured by increase in supply.
Asian refining margins fell during the months October to December on the back of losses seen in the gasoline, gasoil
and jet/kerosene as the strong seasonal demand within the region was partially outweighed by increasing supplies
from several countries in the region.
*Note: Dated Brent crude oil is used for calculating refiners’ margin.
ENERGY PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY | PETROLEUM
I S S U E 17 | M AY 2 015
16
Freight rates
Freight rates showed an improvement over the previous quarter. This was supported by increased tonnage demand
from West of Suez that was driven by winter requirements, limited availability and weather delays. The average rate
for the quarter stood at around 180 WS, an increase of close to 5% compared to the previous quarter.
Exchange rates
All major currencies depreciated against the US dollar during the fourth quarter while the Samoan tala remained
relatively stable.
Source:
Ș The report has been generated using data and information from PLATTS Asia-Pacific/Arab Gulf Marketscan and PLATTS Clean Tankerwire.
Ș OPEC monthly reports were also sourced for information.
Exchange rates have been sourced from www.oanda.com.
For more information:Pritanshu SinghAssistant Petroleum OfficerEnergy Programme, EDD, SPCPritanshuS@spc.int
ENERGY PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY | PETROLEUM
Pac i f i c e n e r g i s e r
17
ENERGY PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY | PETROLEUM
Study on LPG and Natural Gas as Alternative Energy Sources for the Pacific
A research study designed to examine the feasibility of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and natural gas as alternative energy
sources for the Pacific was initiated by the Pacific Region Infrastructure Facility (PRIF)1 based on a proposal from the
World Bank. Along with PRIF and the World Bank, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the Pacific Power
Association (PPA) are participating as members of the Project Implementation Committee given their roles as peak regional
bodies in the energy sector in the Pacific. The study commenced in August 2014.
The study addresses basic power generation, maritime and land transport, industrial and commercial applications,
domestic cooking and water heating. It has involved desk research plus meetings and workshops with approximately
100 stakeholders. The project team has visited six countries - Fiji, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Singapore,
Tonga and Vanuatu. Two workshops were conducted with industry representatives in Sydney in November 2014 and
February 2015. In addition, in December 2014, presentations were made in Suva to the 5th Meeting of the Pacific
Energy Advisory Group and the SPC Petroleum Workshop.
The research report is expected to address a range of issues including:
Ș size of the market
Ș available technologies and corresponding infrastructure requirements
Ș the difference in scale for LPG and natural gas, particularly given that LNG is an emerging market
Ș potential suppliers in the region
Ș lessons learned from countries already using gas or those not fully dependent on petroleum
Ș an assessment of the most viable opportunities for developing efficient supply chains, distribution hubs,
bottlenecks, and landed costs
Ș regulatory implications, and
Ș the potential impact of new developments (e.g. the potential for cost effective LNG supply from
Australia, PNG or the west coast North America) , current and new LNG supply to Hawaii, China, Japan
and Korea; and the impact of increased availability and cost effectiveness of new micro-LNG plants in
respect to stranded gas resources).
The study is close to completion except for a further consultation with governments. The report is expected to be
released by mid-year 2015.
For more information:Alan BartmanovichPetroleum AdviserEnergy Programme, EDD, SPCAlanB@spc.int
1 PRIF is a multi-development partner coordination, technical and research facility which supports infrastructure development in the Pacific. PRIF Members include: Asian Development Bank (ADB), Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the European Investment Bank (EIB), European Union (EU), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (NZMFAT), and the World Bank Group.
I S S U E 17 | M AY 2 015
18
“Make it Happen” Solar shops for the women in Kou Kou and Gorari villages along the Kokoda Track, Oro Province, PNG
Inspired by the UN’s Decade of Sustainable Energy for All: 2014 – 2024, SPC launched three sustainable energy partnerships
during the Third SIDS Conference in Samoa last year. The Melanesia Million Miracle Partnership (M3P) is a launching pad
for partnerships between community-based NGOs, government Energy Offices and local communities, especially the women’s
group, to bring the miracle of electricity to 1 million people in Melanesia (PNG, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu) by 2020.
For PNG, the M3P aims to provide electricity
to 82,500 households or 495,000 people by
2020. To start with, a team from SPC’S Energy
Program was in PNG on 28th February – 13th
March to install and commission a 12 Volt DC
off grid solar PV charging system for Kou Kou
and Gorari villages. The 12 Volt DC PV solar
charging system and the 200 Solar Pico lanterns
will bring the miracle of electricity to both villages
located along the Kokoda Track. The project is
funded by the AusAID through the Secretariat of
the Pacific Community working in a partnership
with the Kokoda Track Foundation (KTF) and
the two communities (Women’s groups).
This year’s theme for International Women’s
Day “Make it Happen” comes at a better time
for the women in Kou kou and Gorari villages,
as they witness and celebrate the commission of their
solar shop micro business on the eve of the International
Women’s Day, 7th March 2015. This particular partnership
serves to empower the women’s group in Kou kou and
Gorari villages to effectively manage community-based
micro businesses. They will run solar shops that serve as
charging stations for the Solar Pico lanterns. The solar
shops will be coordinated by the women’s groups in the
two communities. The M3P partnership is designed to
empower women to manage these projects on the ground
and no doubt the women’s groups in this partnership will
make it happen.
The cost of 1 Solar Pico Lantern is approximately PGK136,
based on the household and income survey1 conducted
last year in July, households will pay to the Solar Shop a
minimum of 3 kina per week for a period of 12 months
1 Household Income survey in July 2014 for the two villages noted the main source of income are palm oil and cocoa farm, earning a minimum of PGK 100-200 per fortnight and selling of vegetables & beetle nuts earn a minimum of PGK 20-30 per week.
to pay off their Solar Pico lanterns. Charging fees2 was
set at 2 kina. After consultations with the women’s group
and its community leaders, they reached a consensus that
the payment fee set per week for the lantern and the 12
months period is affordable for every household. All the
money generated from the sales of the Solar Pico Lanterns
and the charging fees are directed to the Women’s group
in Kou Kou and Gorari Villages. This will empower the
two women’s groups to venture out and invest in their
families and also community projects that will benefit and
improve the livelihoods of their families.
At the commissioning of the project the two women’s
leaders from both villages showed their appreciation for
the project. “The women in my village always want to do
a lot of activities, run small business that will improve
2 The Solar Pico lanterns have three settings, lowest setting the light intensity is 20 lumens, medium is 50 lumens and high is 120 lumens. Time the light will be available without the need to re-charge at each setting varies: 55 hours for low; 16.5 hours for medium and 5.5 hours for high light setting. We estimate that in a week households will re-charge their lamps twice if they use the lamp for 4 hours per day and at medium settings.
ENERGY PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY | RENEWABLE ENERGY
Gorari Women’s Group at their new Solar Shop Micro business
Pac i f i c e n e r g i s e r
19
our families’ livelihoods and also benefit our village, but
we do not have the funds and relevant skills to do this.
This project is a blessing to the women; we will be able to
earn money from the sale of solar lanterns and charging
of the lanterns and also learn important business skills to
operate the solar shop successful. The project will improve
the livelihoods of our families and empower the women
in the area of running a small community business. The
lights will improve the security of our families and also
help our children complete their homework and study at.”
One of the motto for the women’s groups in Gorari and Kou
kou villages, “Turning Poverty to Prosperity” Prosperity
for these women means access to electricity and improve
livelihoods of their households and villages, the solar
shops micro business will for sure “make it happen” for
this women to invest in other activities in their households
and villages, bringing about prosperity that will for sure
improve their livelihoods.
The women’s groups also benefit from the two (2) days
technical and simple household budget; and practical book
keeping business training. The training was delivered on
a more practical mode of household budget and applying
the rules of book keeping in the operations of the rural
community based solar shops. A total of 50 women
benefited from the business and technical trainings.
SPC plans to commission a similar project for 100
households in Tavula, Taba, Tepazaka & Vuruvachu in the
Choiseul Province of the Solomon Islands in April and
another 100 households in the villages of White Sands
and Port Resolution in Tanna, at the province of Tafea
in Vanuatu in May 2015.
For more information:Kuini RaboAssistant Energy Officer,Energy Programme, EDD, SPCKuiniR@spc.int
ENERGY PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY | RENEWABLE ENERGY
I S S U E 17 | M AY 2 015
20
European Union Pacific Technical and Vocational Education and Training on Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Adaptation Project (EU PacTVET)
The European Union Pacific Technical and Vocational Education and Training on Sustainable Energy and Climate Change
Adaptation Project (EU PacTVET) aims to enhance and/or create regional and national capacity and technical expertise
in dealing with climate change and sustainable energy challenges in the Pacific countries of the African, Caribbean and
Pacific (ACP) Group of States. EU PacTVET is jointly managed by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) and the
University of the South Pacific (USP).
The project is in two phases. Phase 1 covers the establishment
of the project and a regional training needs and gap
analysis. Results from in-country consultations will feed
into this analysis and project activities for Phase 2 will be
programmed at a regional workshop based on this analysis.
Phase 2 comprises the development of accredited courses,
the training of trainers and accreditors, and support to
local TVET providers to effectively deliver the courses.
Building a strong network of regional TVET providers is
also a crucial aspect of the project
Currently the project is in Phase 1, focusing on the training
needs and gap analysis across 15 countries : Cook Islands,
Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Nauru, Niue,
Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands,
Samoa, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Tonga,Tuvalu
and Vanuatu.
The following key results are expected from this
project.
Ș 1. National training needs in sustainable energy and climate change adaptation are assessed, and existing informal and formal TVET training courses and training and education providers are identified.
Ș 2. Benchmarks, competency standards and courses on training of trainers are developed and implemented, and a pool of national trainers is created.
Ș 3. Training courses and support facilities within TVET institutions are developed and established.
Ș 4. Sustainable energy and climate change adaptation training networks are strengthened.
Ș Data collection for the training needs and gap analysis began with Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea in February. The Sustainable Energy Adviser for the project, Mr Nixon Kua, carried out the consultations with stakeholders in both countries.
Solomon Islands: Consultative meetings and a consultative
workshop were conducted in-country from 18 to 20
February. The workshop was held at the Kairos Conference
Centre in the Honiara and was opened by H.E. Leonidas
Tezapsidis (European Union Ambassador to Solomon
Islands). In his opening speech he said he was honoured to
see EU’s assistance helping to build the capacity of rural
communities in Solomon Islands to improve sustainable
livelihoods by acquiring knowledge and skills through
technical and vocational education and training. The
participants themselves are stakeholders in the project
and include representatives from government ministries,
TVET providers, the private sector and education bodies.
Panelists during a plenary session at the consultative workshop
Papua New Guinea: To ascertain current and future
national TVET requirements, a consultative workshop
was held at the Hideaway Hotel in Port Moresby. A
total of 40 local stakeholders attended the workshop. In
addition, one-to-one consultations with key government,
private sector and institutional stakeholders, including
the Papua New Guinea Education Authority, were held
in Port Moresby, Goroka, Lae and Madang. The project
was outlined to the stakeholders and the general needs
ENERGY PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY | RENEWABLE ENERGY
Pac i f i c e n e r g i s e r
21
and gaps in TVET were gauged. The general trend in the
demand for knowledge and skills from the workforce and
industry were also noted.
The following outputs were achieved from these
two in-country missions.
1. The present and future knowledge, skills,
abilities and market demand were identified.
2. The existing training supply was mapped
out.
3. For Solomon Islands, components 1 and 3
(components of the overall Adapting to
Climate Change and Sustainable Energy
(ACSE) programme) complemented each
other to make progress with Solomon
Island activity on Refrigeration and Air
Conditioning Committee and Renewable
Energy Technology course designing
and facility support at the Institute of
Technology in Solomon Islands National
University.
Moving the process forward
The EU PacTVET project is working towards in-country
consultations in all 15 Pacific–ACP Group of States.
Additionally, new qualifications are being developed at
levels 1, 2, 3 and 4 which will cover the nationally identified
skills gaps. This will facilitate the development of new
courses to aid climate change adaptation and sustainable
energy provision throughout the region. In-country TVET
providers will also be equipped to deliver these courses.
For more information:Solomone FifitaDeputy Director (Energy)Energy Programme, EDD, SPCSolomoneF@spc.int
ENERGY PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY | RENEWABLE ENERGY
Energy group during the consultative workshop in PNG
I S S U E 17 | M AY 2 015
22
Small Island Developing States are leading the way in renewable energy deployment
Small island developing states and development partners are working to accelerate their transition to a sustainable future
powered by renewable energy.
Energy, its access and cost has become a policy priority
for small island developing states as they seek not only to
develop but to mitigate the disastrous effects of climate
change. The outcome document “SIDS Accelerated
Modalities of Action (S.A.M.O.A) Pathway”, released at
the conclusion of the Third International Conference
on Small Islands Developing States (SIDS), echoes the
commitment of SIDS leaders to achieve such a future by
identifying renewable energy (RE) as a way to achieve a
greater development of SIDS. The sentiment was further
amplified during the Climate Summit in September where
SIDS conveyed the unified and strong message that
renewables are key to their sustainable development and
emphasised their political commitment and the will to act.
SIDS are today leading the way in the deployment of
renewable energy. For example, the government of
Fiji has adopted a new approach for calculating tariffs
for independent power producers which has made the
tariff more attractive for investors and revised the rural
electrification policy to allow for hybridization of rural
diesel mini grids. In support of continued efforts, SIDS
and development partners joined their efforts under the
IRENA SIDS Lighthouses Initiative (‘Lighthouses’ for short)
to accelerate energy system transformation through the
deployment of renewables.
The Lighthouses was launched on the occasion of the
United Nations Secretary General’s Climate Summit in
September 2014 by Prime Minister of Samoa, Tuilaepa Aiono
Sailele Malielegaoi. The Lighthouses considers all relevant
elements spanning from policy and market frameworks,
through technology options to capacity building. With an
initial five year time frame, the Lighthouses’ goal is to
mobilise USD 500 million, deploy 100 MW of new solar
PV, deploy 20 MW of new wind power, deploy significant
quantities of small hydropower and geothermal energy,
advance a number of marine technology projects, and
ensure all participating SIDS develop renewable energy
roadmaps. Efforts to date are concentrated within the
power sector.
Since its launch, IRENA has worked to operationalize the
Lighthouses by assessing current enabling conditions for RE
deployment, gathering available information and identifying
gaps, highlighting priority areas for action and engaging
with government and private sector players. Building upon
the work to date, Lighthouses has strengthened national
energy plans through renewable readiness assessments
(Kiribati, Grenada, Fiji, RMI, Vanuatu completed and
Antigua and Barbuda in process), built energy roadmaps
(Nauru and Cyprus completed and Barbados, Kiribati,
Maldives, Mauritius, Cabo Verde, Vanuatu in progress)
and has supported the transformation of the power sector
through grid stability studies (Samoa, Antigua and Barbuda,
Cook Islands - in process) and tariff reviews (Tonga).
One of the major focuses of the Lighthouses is capacity
building. To date, IRENA has worked with the partners in
the Pacific to empower entrepreneurs and encouraged the
pooling of knowledge, sharing of best practice and the
development of innovative solutions for the accelerated
uptake of renewables on islands through the IRENA
Global Renewable Energy Islands Network (GREIN). As
the share of renewable energy grows, so will the efforts
to build local capacity.
Renewable energy investment has been identified by SIDS
as a key barrier to the accelerated uptake of renewables.
IRENA is working to help break this barrier and create
ENERGY PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY | RENEWABLE ENERGY
Prime Minister of Samoa
Tuilaepa Aiono Sailele Malielegaoi (AP Photo: Seth Wenig)
Pac i f i c e n e r g i s e r
23
enabling investment frameworks by working with other
partners to facilitate the development of bankable projects
and by providing practical tools such as the IRENA Project
Navigator.
The Navigator assists project developers to create bankable
project proposals through the use of customizable project
development guidelines and by providing access to
information on existing funding opportunities. Launched
in September 2014 in Cabo Verde, the Navigator addresses
some of the specific needs of SIDS that take into account the
unique nature of SIDS. As more projects become bankable,
new and flexible sources of funding opportunities have
emerged. The Abu Dhabi Fund for Development awarded
soft loans in the order of USD 6 million and USD 7 million
respectively to two SIDS projects based in the Maldives
and Samoa in its first project cycle and USD 15 million
each for projects in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and
Cuba in its second cycle.
To advance the Lighthouses, IRENA and the government of
France, are organising a global SIDS meeting to take place
in Martinique to identify the possibilities for advancing
tailor-made RE solutions to accelerate the implementation
of the Lighthouses. The government of Japan, a fellow
Lighthouse partner, is hosting a follow-up workshop to
ensure ongoing output and ensure progress in time for
the COP21.
Lighthouses has leveraged support from SIDS and
development partners since its inception and is today
comprised of the following: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas,
Barbados, Cabo Verde, Comoros, Cook Islands, Fiji,
Grenada, Guyana, Kiribati, Maldives, Marshall Islands,
Federated States of Micronesia, Mauritius, Nauru, Palau,
Samoa, São Tomé and Príncipe, Saint Vincent and the
Grenadines, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Trinidad
and Tobago, Tuvalu and Vanuatu, and ENEL, European
Union, the government of France, the government of
Germany, the Indian Ocean Commission, IRENA, the
government of Japan, the government of New Zealand,
the government of Norway, SE4ALL, the government of
the United Arab Emirates, the government of the United
States of America, UNDP and the World Bank Group.
For more information:
Kathleen DanielIRENAKDaniel@irena.org
ENERGY PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY | RENEWABLE ENERGY
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Promising clean energy source for community water pumping in the Kingdom of Tonga
Renewable Energy in the Water, Energy and Food nexus took another forward leap in Tonga as 13 villages in the Ha’apai
Group switched to solar electricity for water pumping. Home to some 3000+ people, the villages of Muitoa, Ha’ano,
Pukotala, Fakakakai, Faleloa, Ha’ateihosi’i, Lotofoa, Fotua, Fangale’ounga, Koulo, Holopeka, Uiha and Felemea Ha’apai
Group were all battered by Cyclone Ian in Dec 2013 which disrupted the supply of fuel for their diesel-powered water pumps
and damaged the livelihoods of the communities.
Through the generosity of the Danish Government under
SIDS DOCK Support Programme, some USD410 thousand
dollars was invested on the project. “This project will not
only improve the resilience of the Ha’apai communities
to future natural disasters, it will also provide a clean
and cost effective source of energy which would improve
the reliability of water supply for farming and food
preparation. In this period of recovery, money saved on
fuel for water pumping will be diverted to other priority
recovery needs of the communities”, said the Honorable
Governor of Ha’apai, Lord Havea Tu’iha’angana, at the
official commissioning.
Present at the commission on the 16th December 2014
were the Acting CEO of the Ministry of Environment,
Energy, Climate Change, Disaster Management, Metrology,
Information and Communication – MEECCDMMIC – Mr
‘Ofa Fa’anunu and the Head of the Energy Division, Dr
Tevita Tukunga. Dr Tukunga commented that “This
project would not have been possible without the active
participation of our partners, including SPREP, UNDP,
the communities of Ha’apai as well as the Ministry of
Health, Geology Section and Ministry of Internal Affairs.
This project will contribute to government’s goal of being
100% renewable energy by 2020, as stated in the Tonga
Energy Roadmap”,
The water supply in the communities is primarily sourced
from water wells. Water from such wells is extracted
using pumps that are either run by diesel engines or grid
and mini-grid electricity to an overhead storage tank for
distribution through the village network using gravitational
feed. Well water is typically for household uses (e.g.,
washing, bathrooms, cooking, livestock drinking etc) and
commercial/industrial uses. Rainwater is a supplementary
source of potable water, mainly for human consumption.
Although these 13 villages have now switched to solar
pumps and have been able to save fuels already, the
diesel based engines remained at standby for cloudy
days. Water supply in the villages is now running 24/7
in good sunny days.
The head of the Tonga’s Energy Program, Dr. Tevita Tukunga
stated in his speech during the Official Commissioning
of the systems that “switching to solar can result in a
multitude of benefits, two of the most important being
money-saving and the decrease in environmental burdens”
Acting CEO Mr. ‘Ofa Fa’anunu has also stated that Tongan
Government has actually decided to provide solar-powered
water pumps to all remote and rural communities of Tonga
in 3 phases to reduce usages of fossil fuels and to ease its
financial burden due to heavy dependency on imported
energy sources.
For more information:
'Ofa SefanaTonga Energy Departmentofasefana@yahoo.com
ENERGY PRODUCTION AND SUPPLY | RENEWABLE ENERGY
Pac i f i c e n e r g i s e r
25
Power benchmarking case stories
Benchmarking changes business is a collection of case stories from representatives of a
number of Pacific power utilities. Each story is a personal ref lection on the value and
benefits of performance benchmarking for improving business decision-making and increased
efficiency.
Since 2011 the Pacific Power
Association (PPA), the Pacific
Region Infrastructure Facility
(PRIF) and the Secretariat of
the Pacific Community (SPC)
have been working in partnership to support performance
benchmarking exercises involving 25 electric power utilities
in 20 Pacific Island Countries and Territories. The PPA leads
the implementation, PRIF provides technical assistance
for capacity building in the utilities and analysing the
data and SPC makes the data available to stakeholders
and the community through the Pacific Regional Data
Repository (PRDR), published Country Energy Profiles
and other channels.
The booklet is a supplement to the reports that contain the
data collected in each round of benchmarking, analysis and
a ‘view from the coalface’ about the changes benchmarking
is achieving in terms of operations, management and
technical advances. Performance is ultimately measured
by results achieved in delivering power more reliably and
efficiently to more people across the Pacific.
While power is readily available in some countries, in
others the percentage of the population with access to
the electricity grid remains low. Many utilities experience
significant power losses and all have high costs for operations
and maintenance, with f low-on effects to consumers,
business and the economy as a whole. Following Andrew
Daka’s introductory comments from the PPA Secretariat,
ten individual case stories are included:
Integrating benchmarking into operations - Hasmukh Patel, CEO, Fiji Electricity
“Utilities now understand the value of benchmarking, they understand the need for accuracy, and they are starting to share information more openly − but that is not the end of the story. We now need to start exploring more about how to fully integrate the benchmarking work into utility business operations”.
Learning from the region’s high performers - Apii Timoti, CEO, TAU Cook Islands
“Benchmarking helps us to ensure we are tracking in the right direction”.
Consistent monitoring and adjustment leads to continuous improvement - Tureheni File, Engineering Officer, TAU Cook Islands
“I find one of the main challenges is motivating people and keeping them interested in benchmarking”.
Making a difference to blackouts - Kiriati Birita, Power Engineering Manager, Public Utilities Board, Kiribati
“Before our involvement in benchmarking, data was not readily available and we did not know how we compared with other utilities elsewhere”.
Addressing system losses and reliability scores - Nuulopa Pereira, Power System Planner, EPC Samoa
“We are using the benchmarking KPIs to understand where we are positioned from a performance perspective”.
Wake up call was an opportunity - Ian Skelton, Network Investment Manager, Tonga Power Limited
“Back in the 2010/2011 benchmarking exercise, we were one of the worst performers and we needed to take action. It shows the value of benchmarking as this was a wakeup call that has proved to be a great opportunity for us”.
Systematically checking both supply and demand - Matthew Korinihona, Manager Distribution, SIEA
“Losses have dropped from 28% to 14% over the last two years”.
Self-evaluation improves credibility - Angéle Jacquier, Technical Officer in charge of Statistics and Reporting, UNELCO Vanuatu Limited
“In analysing our data, we realised that we needed to improve our techniques and planning for future operations”.
Benchmarking inspires us - Francis Falan, Power Plant Manager, Yap State Public Service Corporation
“We are learning all the time and understanding our performance in a way we did not understand it before”.
Learning from others and making changes - Polu Tanei, Renewable Energy Officer, TEC
“It has been a very encouraging experience and we are keen to continue our involvement in benchmarking to ensure ongoing improvements”.
Benchmarking changes business can be downloaded from the PRIF web site – www.theprif.org – and booklets are available on request from PPA, PRIF and SPC or by email to enquiries@theprif.org.
ENERGY CONVERSION
I S S U E 17 | M AY 2 015
26
Improving Pacific appliance energy efficiency through sharing best practice
Energy efficiency continues to be a top priority in the Secretariat of the Pacific Community’s (SPC) effort to enhance energy
security in our region. The promotion of energy efficient appliances and lighting through mandatory performance standards
and energy labelling has gained significant support from Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs). Fiji has implemented
standards and labelling for refrigerators and freezers, and promising advances have been made by PICTs participating in
SPC’s Pacific Appliance Labelling and Standards (PALS) programme, particularly Kiribati, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu.
Energy efficiency is emerging as one of the key options
that can help nations in the Asia-Pacific region to meet the
region’s growing energy needs in a clean and effective way.
To address this further, SPC in collaboration with Australian
Department of Industry and Science and the United Nations
Environment Programme en.lighten initiative convened three
meetings from 23–27 February in Canberra, Australia: a
Pacific regional workshop on equipment energy efficiency,
a Pacific Efficient Lighting Strategy (PELS) working group
meeting and a PALS Steering Committee Meeting.
The three meetings aimed: (i) to provide PICTs with a
better understanding of the processes of product standards,
registration and testing for refrigerators, freezers, air-
conditioners and lighting products through sharing Australian
experiences; (ii) to engage with the PELS working group
to further develop the strategy document; and (iii) to
strengthen cooperation on labelling and standards between
PICTs and the Australian Department of Industry.
As part of the workshop, participants visited the CHOICE
Consumer Test Laboratory and the LED Laboratory in
Sydney. These site visits provided participants with a
better understanding of the complexity of work that is
required in the energy testing of refrigerators, freezers,
television, washing machines and lighting products.
The seven PICTs that are developing legislation for
selected electrical appliances, based on Australian and
New Zealand standards, were all represented at the
workshop. These countries are at dif ferent stages of
legislation development. Tonga has completed its final
draft legislation and regulation, whereas Solomon Islands
has just started to develop their legislation. The PALS
national coordinators of these two countries shared their
thoughts about the one-week workshop.
Kakau Foliaki, Tonga: ‘The workshop provided useful
information for our labelling and standards programme.
I have never been to a testing lab for refrigerators,
televisions and washing machines and the visit was really
interesting for me. I was able to see how a refrigerator is
tested, what parameters are tested and how these data
are verified with the information on the energy rating
label. This kind of information will certainly help us in implementing our programme in Tonga. I could foresee that the challenge for us, apart from getting the legislation endorsed, is awareness for the general public and having an operating system that is effective.’
Richard Bapo, Solomon Islands: ‘The workshop was really good, especially the experiences of the Australian Government on how they implemented their labelling and standards programme. We’ve had several consultations about the programme in Solomon Islands, and a question that was raised was what standards are we going to use? The sharing of information throughout the workshop and the site visits to the test labs have given us the direction and better understanding of the use of the Australian and New Zealand standards and how we can better draft our legislation that we just started to develop. I also found from the site visit that the different temperatures that the refrigerators were tested are applicable for the Pacific Island countries.”
After completion of a status report on efficient lighting in the Pacific region, the Pacific Efficient Lighting Strategy is also progressing. There are technical working groups, on (i) minimum energy performance standards; (ii) monitoring, verification and enforcement; (iii) supporting policies; and (iv) environmentally sound management. Highlights of discussions included the importance of adopting minimum energy performance standards for incandescent lamp technology (to phase out inefficient tungsten filament bulbs); a centralised database system for monitoring; the use of a third party accredited lab for verification of lighting products; tax incentive/disincentive schemes as options for financial support; and sectoral focus on a lamp waste management programme for commercial and government sectors. A technical validation workshop will be held in late April/early May to finalise the strategy.
For more information:Makereta LomalomaEnergy Efficiency AdviserEnergy Programme, EDD, SPCMakeretaL@spc.int
END-USE ENERGY CONSUMPTION
Pac i f i c e n e r g i s e r
27
Figure 1
LifeCycle Fiji – Providing a Holistically Healthy Energy Solution through Land Transport Efficiency Measures
Under IUCN’s EESLI (Energy, Ecosystems, and Sustainable Livelihoods Initiative) with support from SPC’s Economic
Development Division, the LifeCycle Fiji campaign has picked up a wide roster of engaged stakeholders following an
intensive series of individual consultations since mid-2014. The LifeCycle Pacific campaign was initiated in 2010 to provide
guidance and support in advocating cycling activities and development to address a series of issues associated with the
current land transport paradigm, such as inefficient energy use, high cost of imported fuels, economic costs associated with
congestion and loss of productivity, excessive air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, and health hazards such as high
asthma and NCD vulnerability.
Following an open meeting involving NGOs & civil society
groups, government agencies, and private sector retailers
and transport interests, a reviewed and refined work plan
was established and further due diligence was undertaken
to prepare for full deployment of activities in 2015. Upon
request by Fiji’s Land Transport Authority, a baseline
cycling survey was developed to assess current opinions
on cycling while gauging the broad level of interest and
ability of the Fijian public in riding bicycles. The survey
format was reviewed and approved by the assembled
LifeCycle Fiji Steering Committee on 17 October, 2014,
and was set to conclude on 21 January, 2015 with a
prize draw for participants following the initial inquiry
period. The survey pulled in responses from over 2,000
individuals following national press advertisement, social
media promotion, as well as extensive face-to-face polling
in the Suva area.
While extensive analysis and recommendations are
underway, initial findings indicate a broad disparity in
current ownership of bicycles, which sits below 20% across
all age groups (Figures 1 & 2 below) with the respondents
who acknowledged the suitability of bicycles to ease
their daily commutes. A majority of survey participants
(73% overall), noted the benefits cycling could provide
on a daily basis, and 50% held this opinion even amongst
respondents over the age of seventy (Figures 3 & 4 below).
Additional data gleaned from survey responses yielded
other valuable information for Fijian organizations,
such as the annual cost incurred by commuters under
different modes of transport (Figures 5 & 6), revealing the
disproportionately high cost of personal cars and taxi hires.
This survey experience and the associated information
have provided valuable insight for the Fijian government,
giving the Ministry of Infrastructure & Transport (MoIT) a
framework for conducting upcoming surveys on transport
modalities and demographic needs of the citizenry. At the
most recent LifeCycle Fiji steering committee meeting,
held 24 February, 2015, following review of the initial
survey findings, the Transport Planning Unit (TPU) of
the MoIT moved to assume the role of Lead Agency on
the LifeCycle Fiji campaign, accepted by other steering
committee representatives. Now reviewing terms of
reference for a finalized agreement, TPU will be in a
position to utilize the LifeCycle Fiji campaign as a vehicle
for bicycle development and advocacy to fulfill integral
planning components of the national Green Growth
Framework and Greater Suva Transportation Strategy,
2015-2030.
With continued coordination across multiple sectors and
all levels of government, the profile of Fiji roads should
see steady evolution towards a more sustainable future
throughout the rest of the decade.
Age & Bicycle Ownership Yes No Total12-20 year olds who own bikes:
133 577 710
20-30 year olds who own bikes:
105 551 656
30-50 year olds who own bikes:
66 341 407
50-70 year olds who own bikes:
20 107 127
Over 70 year olds who own bikes:
3 17 20
Total 327 1593 1920
END-USE ENERGY CONSUMPTION
I S S U E 17 | M AY 2 015
28
Figure 2
Age & Bicycle Suitability Yes No Total
12-20 year olds who find bikes useful:
549 161 710
20-30 year olds who find bikes useful:
476 178 654
30-50 year olds who find bikes useful:
276 125 401
50-70 year olds who find bikes useful:
85 41 126
Over 70 year olds who find bikes useful:
10 10 20
Total 1396 515 1911
Figure 3
Figure 4
Type of Commute & Annual Transport Expenses
$0-$250 $250-$500
$500-$1,000
Over $1,000
Total
Walk 104 66 43 29 242Bus 298 352 248 151 1049Taxi 36 59 61 68 224Car 82 79 74 184 419Bicycle 8 7 5 3 23Other 25 14 18 9 66Total 553 577 449 444 2023
Figure 5
Figure 6
For more information:
Andrew IrwinEnergy Programme Officer, IUCNAndrew.Irvin@iucn.org
END-USE ENERGY CONSUMPTION
Photo credited to www.kamacatchme.com
Pac i f i c e n e r g i s e r
29
http://prdrse4all.spc.int
Pacific Regional Data Repository meeting highlightsThe fourth meeting of the Pacific Regional Data Repository Steering Committee (PRDR SC4) was held on 10 December 2014 during the fifth meeting of the Pacific Energy Advisory Group (PEAG) at the SPC Regional Office in Nabua, Fiji. The meeting was attended by the members of the Steering Committee – Australia, Kiribati, New Zealand, Palau, Samoa, Tonga, Wallis and Futuna, the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, the University of the South Pacific, the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) – and the PEAG meeting participants. The meeting discussed the following major items:
Ș an update of PRDR activities in 2014 and future directions;
Ș PRDR hosting arrangements; and Ș funding support relating to the PRDR.
An update of PRDR activities in 2014 and future
directions
SPC provided an update to the Steering Committee on the activities being implemented for PRDR. Eight country visits were made to share awareness and buy-in to the PRDR Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative. Of the eight countries visited, five made significant progress in sharing data to the portal. Two others endorsed their national papers in support of the PRDR SE4ALL initiative.
Further updates to the PRDR portal (http://prdrse4all.spc.int) have been made since its launch at the SIDs meeting in September 2014. They include a re-development of the free open-source portal platform from Grails to Drupal. Currently, this is still in pilot version, with further changes and refinement to the layout being completed before it is taken into production.
Noted developments in the revised portal production include a request for the inclusion of country-specific sites that can directly feed into the regional portal. This notes the need to strengthen country ownership of the portal and also better manage data propriety issues, as the countries themselves will be putting data into the portal directly. Vanuatu and Tuvalu are among the countries selected, and SPC is currently assisting them to develop their national sites. Once this is completed, the national site facet of the PRDR portal will also be offered to Pacific Island countries and territories that currently do not have a national energy website. Similarly, the same web template facet will be used for capturing regional energy projects.
Planned activities for 2015 will focus on finalising the procurement arrangement for a new server to host the PRDR portal. This was targeted for February this year but has been delayed to April. Country visits to raise awareness and buy-in to the PRDR initiative are also planned for 2015, targeting the countries not covered in 2014. Part of this will include SPC extending the PRDR portal outreach by supporting and strengthening country capacity to develop their national sites and databases with the country web templates.
The Steering Committee discussed some issues that the PRDR team is taking into account in the development process. They include the need for the portal to be compatible with the internet speed in each country so that the downloading does not take too long. This also raises the issue of data sharing arrangements with the countries, crop agencies and development partners, and having some agreements in place. There was also some dicussion on the training required for future regional database workshops.
PRDR hosting arrangements
In introducing the second agenda item, the chair read out the PRDR SE4ALL decisions from the regional meeting of energy ministers in April 2014, which support SPC as host for the PRDR on an interim basis, noting that a review of this arrangement will need to be conducted after 12 months to identify a long-term hosting arrangement, and for this to be circulated to ministers out of session for decision. In mentioning this, the chair reiterated the importance of identifying a permanent host for the PRDR and of giving some confidence and certainty to the permanent host sooner rather than later. In raising these points, the chair put forward to the floor his motion as follows:
Ș Agreeing, therefore, that in the absence of any alternative interest and given SPC’s unique position on the PRDR, SPC be the permanent host of the PRDR.
Ș Agreeing that the Steering Committee be accordingly discontinued, and its PRDR oversight role be taken up by the meeting of the Pacific Energy Advisory Group.
There was general consensus in support of the motion from the f loor. The motion will , therefore , be captured in the meeting minutes and will be circulated to the ministers for their endorsement in April.
Funding support relating to the PRDR
The meeting also discussed planned funding opportunities for 2015 from the World Bank and the Government of Russia. With the World Bank, the meeting was informed that the development of its technical assistance was in the final stage. The assistance has three components: (i) diagnostic activity, which looks at the current data strategy in countries; (ii) consultation with stakeholders and filling any gaps that might exist; and (iii) development of a medium term strategic plan for the PRDR, looking at long-term institutional arrangements. SPC and the World Bank further discussed the concept in February, and a visit from the World Bank team to SPC is planned for April 19 2015.
With the Russian funds, it was reported to the meeting that the request is still under consideration. The intended request is to seek assistance for the PRDR to support country workshops in Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Nauru.
Whilst SPC is furthering its intention to seek additional funding support for the PRDR SE4ALL initiative, the team would like to acknowledge the continuous support from the Government
ENERGY DATA AND INFORMATION
I S S U E 17 | M AY 2 015
30
of Australia, the European Union Energy Initiative Partnership Dialogue Facility, the Government of Tonga and the ESCAP Pacific Office – our founding partners – whose support has greatly enabled the implementation of the PRDR SE4ALL activities.
Progress to date
For more information:Frank VukikomoalaEnergy Database Officer, Energy Programme, EDD, SPCFrankV@spc.int
ENERGY DATA AND INFORMATION
Pac i f i c e n e r g i s e r
31
OTHER NEWSOTHER NEWS
New Caledonia Earth Hour 2015
Use #YourPower – Earth hour 2015
The climate is changing, so let’s change climate change
Over the years, Earth Hour, the global movement organised by the World
Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), has grown in both size and scope.
Above and beyond the simple gesture of turning off the lights for an hour,
it has become the symbol of a willingness to act now to reverse climate
change. This world-wide action is also designed to make communities
aware of the need to conserve energy in order to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions and, in that way, help fight global warming.
In New Caledonia, where global warming is an everyday news item, locally
and in neighbouring countries, an increasing number of partners join this
operation each year.
For the third year, the Government of New Caledonia and ADEME
(Environmental and Energy Control Agency), via the Territorial Committee for Energy Control (CTME), have committed
to helping organise this event.
New Caledonia observed Earth Hour at 8.30 p.m. on Saturday, 28 March 2015.
www.maitrise-energie.nc
www.earthhour.org
Welcome to the region
Dr Surendra PrasadSenior Fellow in Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
The University of the South Pacific is pleased in welcoming back Dr Surendra Prasad as a
Senior Fellow in Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
Dr. Prasad will be working with other stakeholders within and outside of the USP in the
broad area of Energy Management. He will devote his energies into finding ways and means
of reducing the University’s energy bill, specifically the electrical component. He will also
study the various options in terms of energy efficiency, conservation, appliance efficiency,
demand and supply side energy management and lead educational and other programs to
bring awareness of energy matters, including the use of renewable and other energy sources
to save energy and to therefore help to create a better and cleaner environment.
I S S U E 17 | M AY 2 015
Date Event Venue Responsible agencies
Officer responsible
May (tbc) Signing of three-way partnership agreement between SPC & USP with Government of Timor Leste for implementation of the PacTVET Project
Suva, Fiji SPC, USP Sarah Hemstock (SarahH@spc.int)Helene Jacot Des Combes (helene.descombe@usp.ac.fj)
May–August National consultation workshops on TVET for sustainable energy and climate change adaptation
FSM, Palau, Fiji, Cook Islands, Nauru, Niue, Timor Leste, Samoa, RMI, Tuvalu, Kiribati
SPC Sarah Hemstock (SarahH@spc.int)
13–17 July Pacific Power Association Annual Conference
Majuro, RMI PPA Andrew Daka(andrewd@ppa.org.fj)
20–22 July Regional Workshop on Accelerating the Deployment of Feasible Renewable Energy Technologies in the Pacific Islands
Honolulu, Hawaii SPC, IRENA Solomone Fifita (SolomoneF@spc.int)
7–11 September
46th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting
Papua New Guinea
PIFS media@forumsec.org
September (tbc)
Regional Inception workshop of the PacTVET Project
tbc SPC Sarah Hemstock (SarahH@spc.int)
First week of November
9th Conference of the Pacific Community and 45th CRGA
Niue SPCJulie Marks (JulieM@spc.int)
7–9 DecemberMeeting of the Pacific Energy Advisory Group
Suva, Fiji SPCSolomone Fifita (SolomoneF@spc.int)
Pacific energy events calender (May–December 2015)
Energy ProgrammeEconomic Development Division Secretariat of the Pacific CommunityPrivate Mail Bag, Suva, FijiEmail: energy@spc.int | Telephone: +679 337 0733Fax: +679 337 0146 | Website: www.spc.int/edd
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