The Government of Niue is expecting savings to the tune of NZ$137,000 per annum with the recent commissioning of their solar photovoltaic system project. The US$4 million initiative is expected to provide significant benefits to the people of Niue through the supply of solar-generated electricity throughout the entire island nation.
The project, developed and implemented by the Government of Niue, is funded through the Government of Japan’s Pacific Environment Community (PEC) Fund which is administered by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat.
Solar panels setup at the Niue Power Corporation.
In addition to the considerable savings to government expenditure, it is also anticipated that the PECfunded solar project will reduce GHG emission by 329 tons per year.
PEC Fund Project Manager, Mr Jonathan Mitchell commended the efforts of the Government of Niue for this initiative, “The installation of the grid connected renewable energy system is a historical development for Niue and is also the first solar grid connected project to be completed under the PECFund. There will be significant benefits for the Government and people of Niue as there will be minimum reliance on the use of fossil fuels in electricity generation, consequently providing cost savings, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting environmentally sustainable economic development on the Island.”
Mr Mitchell also expressed the appreciation and gratitude of the region to the Government and people of Japan for the provision of the PEC Fund.
The PEC Fund is a commitment by the Government of Japan of ¥6.8 billion (approx US$66 million) to support Forum Island Country projects with a focus on the provision of solar power generation systems and sea water desalination plants, or a combination of both technologies.
The Forum Secretariat was tasked to manage the fund in close collaboration with the Government of Japan. Each Forum Island Country is provided with an indicative allocation of USD$4 million.
To date, the Governments of Samoa, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, Nauru, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Niue, Republic of Palau, Republic of Marshall Islands and Vanuatu have successfully accessed the PEC Fund for national renewable energy and seawater desalination projects.
FORUM SECRETARIAT