Sustainable Energy & Development News VOL.1 April 2014
THE MONTHLY REVIEW OF SUSTAINABLE ENERGY & DEVELOPMENT NEWS IN THE CARIBBEAN FROM THE REGION”S LEADING INFORMATION PLATFORMS
This publication is prepared by the Caribbean Energy Information System
What’s Happening Now Across The Region...
Nevis Planning Waste-to-Energy Plant Nevis’ government says it is planning to build a waste-to-energy plant on the island. Read more
Earth Day 2014 Dedicated to ‘Green’ Cities Earth Day 2014, celebrated today, is dedicated to “green cities”. The objective of Earth Day, created 44 years ago, is to make metropolises, which accept more than half the world population, more sustainable. Read more
Muna Issa On Why Every Day is Earth Day at Breezes Bahamas Today the world celebrates Earth Day, but for Muna Issa and the staff of Breezes Bahamas, Earth Day is every day. Breezes Bahamas recently earned its first Green Globe Certification recognizing its commitment to sustainable operations and environmental awareness. Read more
April 2014 IN REVIEW BE IN THE KNOW ON RENEWABLE ENERGY
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Regsa International Conference 2014: Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency And Sustainable Development May 6 - 8, 2014 Florianopolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil 2014 Energy Conference June 9-11 2014 Hyatt Regency Trinidad, Trinidad Jamaica Alternative Energy Expo June 23-24, 2014 Kingston, Jamaica The University of Technologys’s 3rd International Scientific Conference June 25 – 27, 2014 Kingston, Jamaica Renewable Energy Latin America & Caribbean Conference & Expo (RELACCX) November 20-21, 2014 Puerto Rico
30-4-2014 || CARICOM, Germany Hold Discussions Deputy Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Ambassador Manorma Soeknandan PhD., will lead a CARICOM Secretariat delegation on Tuesday to talks with a team from Germany headed by His Excellency Stefan Schlueter, Ambassador of Germany to CARICOM. Read more 29-4-2014 || Dr Chapman Receives PhD for Energy Research Dr. David Chapman – who recently earned his PhD through the Royal Holloway University of London following research on renewable energy and its role in sustainable development in small island states — is continuing to share the results of his studies in order to help to positively focus the current developmental trajectory of Bermuda and other similar nations and territories. Read more 28-4-2014 || InterEnergy Invests In Central America’s Largest Wind Project InterEnergy Holdings announced that it has signed an agreement with Unión Eolica Panameña S.A. (UEP) to invest in a wind power project located in Penonome, Panama. With 215MW in total aggregate capacity and total projected investments of $427 million, the Penonome project is expected to be the largest wind power project in the Central America and Caribbean regions. It also marks InterEnergy’s return to Panama, after a five-year hiatus. Read more 25-4-2014 || Goldwind To Supply Turbines For 215MW Panama Power Project oldwind USA, a subsidiary of Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology, has secured a contract from InterEnergy to provide turbines for the 215MW Penonomé power project in Panama. Under the contract, Goldwind will supply 86 of its 2.5MW Permanent Magnet Direct-Drive (PMDD) turbines for the project, which is located in Coclé Province. Read more 24-4-2014 || Saint Kitts And Nevis Committed To Renewable Energy The government of Saint Kitts and Nevis committed itself to the development of renewable energy due to the constant high cost of oil imported to the generation of electricity, assured Prime Minister Denzil Douglas. Read more
REPORTS World Energy Scenarios: Composing Energy Futures To 2050 Sustainable Energy and its Use Challenges to Renewable Energy in the Caribbean Jamaica Sustainable Energy Roadmap: Pathways To An Affordable, Reliable, Low-Emission Electricity System Climatescope 2014 : New Frontiers for Low-Carbon Energy Investment in Latin America and the Caribbean
DOCUMENTS National Energy Plan - Final Draft Commonwealth of Dominica Sustainable Energy Plan - Final Draft - Commonwealth of Dominica Jamaica Public Service Company Limited Standard Offer Contract for the Purchase of As-Available Intermittent Energy from Renewable Energy Facilities up to 100kW - May 2012 JPS Amended and Restated All-Island Electric Licence 2011
22-4-2014 || Cuba’s Energy Initiatives A work group for the promotion of renewable sources of energy was recently assembled in Cuba. It is a space for debate on the different points of view regarding what sources of energy could contribute to the country’s sustainable development. Only 5 % of the energy Cuba consumes is derived from renewable sources. Oil dependence has already driven the country to the edge of the precipice several times – first with the US embargo, then with the collapse of the Soviet Union and now with the crisis in Venezuela. Read more 21-4-2014 || Cuba Garners Prize for Biofuel Use Cuba is set to receive the Luis Wannoni Lander International Prize for its sustained progress in producing and promoting biofuels, state daily Granma reported Friday. The prize, to be awarded by the Pan-American Union of Associations of Engineers (UPADI), will be presented in August during the Union’s convention in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, the daily said, quoting Jose Antonio Guardado Chacon, member of the board of directors of the Cuban Society for the Promotion of Renewable Energy Sources (CubaSolar). Read more 17-4-2014 || Students show the way forward in sustainable energy The rest of us may feel helpless in the face of massive dump fires that blanket entire neighborhoods inblack, acrid smoke, but the nation’s budding environmental scientists know how to turn a troubling situation to their advantage. The victorious young science lovers of Aquinas College were one of eight teams in total and four who took aim at the timely problem of landfill fires during this year’s Earth Day ... Read more 15-4-2014 || Building on Green Technology The use of solar energy has been traced back as early as the 7th century BC, when magnifying glasses were used to make fire. Clearly, we have come a long way since then and added several more alternative energy sources to the mix. Read more 15-4-2014 || Grenada Looking to Court Investments in Green Energy Grenada says it is targeting investments in green energy, following the signing of an expression of interest with Sir Richard Branson’s Carbon War Room. Under the arrangements, the Carbon War Room would help Grenada in courting investors and other organizations to finalize a roadmap for “action and investment in renewable energy and energy efficiency,” according to a government statement. Read more 10-4-2014 || Caribbean States to Take Action on Regulating Energy Sector The fourth Regulatory Forum of the Caribbean Electric Utility Service Corporation (CARILEC) has attempted to influence Caribbean governments to support the role of independent regulators of utilities in their countries. Regulation of the energy sector in the region was up for discussion at the CARILEC meeting hosted in St. Lucia for the past two days. Read more 10-4-2014 || Enel Green Power Completes Cristal Wind Farm in Brazil The new Cristal wind farm, which gives its name to the entire complex, is composed of 13 turbines of 2.3 MW each, with an overall installed capacity of 30 MW, and is able to generate more than 145 million kWh per year. The Cristal complex therefore now reaches an overall installed capacity of 90 MW and can generate more than 400 million kWh of power a year. Read more
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9-4-2014 || Greening Barbados Still a Priority Efforts are still under way by Government to ensure that Barbados becomes the greenest economy in Latin America and the Caribbean. So says Minister of the Environment and Drainage, Dr. Denis Lowe. Read more 8-4-2014 || Going Green Without Sinking into the Red Most Caribbean countries are famous for their sun, sand and warm sea breezes. Far fewer are known for their wide use of solar, wind and other forms of renewable energy. It is one of the failings of the region, which is characterised by high external debt, soaring energy costs, inequality, poverty and a lack of human capital. Read more 8-4-2014 || Japan Funds Solar Energy Project for Schools in Barbados Japan’s Ambassador to Barbados, Yoshimasa Tezuka, said the project would “allow students to see the value of renewable energy as a basic human need.” “Efforts to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels is [an initiative] that government is seriously pursuing and we feel the best way to do that is to lead by example,” Barbados Foreign Minister Maxine McClean following a meeting with Tezuka. “We certainly appreciate the initiative to assist us in that direction.” Read more 7-4-2014 || Hydroelectric power continues to play important role in Latin American energy mix, WEC says A recent report from the World Energy Council emphasizes hydroelectric power’s role in helping Latin America and the Caribbean meet an increasing demand for energy. Titled “World Energy Scenarios: Composing energy futures to 2050”, the report presents two scenarios -“Jazz” and “Symphony” -- that assess contrasting policy futures. Read more 3-4-2014 || Solar Interest in TT Two of the world’s leading solar panel manufacturers, based in China, are “keenly interested” in investing in a solar technology park in Trinidad, says InvesTT President, Racquel Moses. “We had one-one-one meetings with two of the top companies during our visit to China in late February. They were keenly interested in the investment because it would mean reduced shipping costs to customers in South America, and access to the CARICOM market where energy costs are high.” Read more 3-4-2014 || Renewable Energy in the Caribbean The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) says it has signed an amendment with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to a 2011 Memorandum of Understanding and a 2012 Framework Agreement to support renewable energy and energy efficiency for the mitigation of climate change in Central America and the Caribbean. Read more 1-4-2014 || SunEdison Announces Financial Close on Largest Merchant Solar Project in Latin America SunEdison has announced financial close on a 50MW solar plant in Chile, which it claims is Latin America’s largest operational PV plant and also one of the biggest PV projects in the world operating without subsidies. An investment consortium led by EverStream Energy Capital Management and financial services firm Claro Y Asociados, confirmed financial close of the 50.7MW ‘San Andres’ power plant. Read more 1-4-2014 || Haiti and Vietnam Sign Cooperation Agreement on Energy The governments of Haiti and Vietnam have signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the energy sector, the government announced. Read more
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30-4-2014 || Green Home, Gold standard Construction is under way on one of the first “glamorously green” homes in the Cayman Islands, developers said. Dart Realty and GreenTech started construction this month on the Salt Creek property Bella Verde, a house designed to become one of the first LEED gold-certified properties in the Caribbean. Read more 30-4-2014 || Leading Belize Eco Resort Green Globe Certified “We are honored to be re-certified and recognized by Green Globe as a leading Belize Eco-Resort,” said Cathy Alchin, General Manager at Xanadu Island Resort, situated on the beach in San Pedro, Ambergris, Belize. Read more 24-4-2014 || Haiti - Environment : Distribution of 500 kerosene stoves on the Island of La Gonâve As part of the fight against deforestation in Haiti, the use of alternative renewable energy sources is a priority of the Minister of the Environment, Jean-François Thomas. Read more 24-4-2014 || PCJ to install $8.4M energy efficient AC system at Spanish Town Hospital The Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) will be undertaking a major upgrade of the air conditioning system on the Maternity Wing of the Spanish Town Hospital at a cost of more than J$ 8.4 million. Read more 24-4-2014 ||Save The Bays lauds Nature Conservancy’s coral reef farming program, renews support A program aimed at replenishing coral reefs by undersea farming and forestry won plaudits this week from the national environmental movement Save The Bays which renewed its pledge to support its creator, The Nature Conservancy. Read more
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Content Administrator, CIPORE Caribbean Energy Information System (CEIS), Scientific Research Council (SRC), Hope Gardens, Kingston 6, Jamaica W.I. 876-927-1779(w) | 876-977-1840(f) | ceis@src-jamaica.org www.ceis-caribenergy.org www.src-jamaica.org
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22-4-2014 || OPEC to Grant $50m in Loans for Water Projects The OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) will grant close to $50 million in loans for water rehabilitation projects in Cuba over the next two years, official dailyGranma reported. Read more 22-4-2014|| Bacardi Makes Energy Efficiency Upgrades to Its Rum Facility in Puerto Rico Bacardi Ltd. is a world famous maker of rum, but the company is becoming known for something else: its sustainability measures. After highlighting significant reductions in water and energy use in its 2013 corporate social responsibility (CSR) report, Bacardi recently announced new energy efficiency measures. Read more 15-4-2014 || Grenada Joins Carbon War Room Another Caribbean country has signed a pledge to reduce the importation of fossil fuel, but it’s not Cayman. The Grenada government has entered into an agreement with the Washington-based “Carbon War Room” as it seeks to lure investors in renewable energy. Read more 14-4-2014 ||Water Sector Policy Consultation Kicks Off in Montego Bay The first in a series of four regional consultations on the Water Sector Policy and Implementation plan was held at the Wexford Hotel in Montego Bay, on Thursday, April 10. The forum, being staged by the Ministry of Water, Land Environment and Climate Change, in collaboration with the Global Water Partnership-Caribbean, gave residents of Trelawny, St. James, Hanover, and Westmoreland, is an opportunity to make their input towards the development of the final document. Read more 9-4-2014 || PIOJ Gets Sum for Climate Resilience Project A sum of $23.5 million has been budgeted in the 2014/15 Estimates of Expenditure, currently before Parliament’s Standing Finance Committee, to continue implementation of Phase Two of the Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience (PPCRII) by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), this year. Read more 6-4-2014 ||Grant Funding Available for Climate Change Technology A call is being made for entrepreneurs in St. Kitts and Nevis to apply for grant funding for an innovative climate change technology project. The funding is made possible through the Caribbean Climate Innovation Center, a World Bank supported initiative executed by a consortium comprising the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI) in Trinidad and Tobago and the Scientific Research Council (SRC) in Jamaica. Read more 1-4-2014 || Antigua and Barbuda Looking to Boost Green Businesses The Antigua and Barbuda Investment Authority is looking to encourage “green” businesses to capitalize on a new batch of available funding. Read more 1-4-2014 || Call for Region to Better Manage Ocean Resources A senior Commonwealth official has called on Caribbean states to seriously consider how they manage their ocean resources. Read more 1-4-2014 ||For Guyana, Energy Plus Efficiency Equals Common Sense Development Guyana is shaping up to set a gold standard for the Caribbean in implementing a national energy efficiency strategy to curb greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuels.” Read more