Solomon Islands Government

15kva Solar System at Wairokai is part of our efforts to transition to low carbon society and reduce global warming - Minister Togamana

Solomon Islands efforts as a party to the Paris Agreement which sets member country’s development trajectories aimed at limiting global warming to 1.5 above pre-industrial levels is well on course.

This follow on from yet another milestone development when Wairokai Community School took delivery of a 15kva Stand Alone Solar PV and Micro Grid Power Supply System on Thursday 22^nd August 2020. The system worth 1.5 Million dollars is fully funded by the Solomon Islands government through its Climate Change mitigation program under the Ministry of Environment Climate Change Disaster Management and Meteorology.

“The system is capable of supplying power for the school 24 hours 7 seven days a week for many years to come” says Mr Lemuel Liolea, the electrical engineer who oversee the project under JAWS Electrics , a new and upcoming renewable energy engineering company. He said that the battery technology used in the system is very modern and is the first of its kind in rural Solomon Islands.

Congratulating Wairokai community for a fine achievement Minister for Environment Climate Change Disaster Management and Meteorology Dr Culwick Togamana says Wairokai community has contributed immensely to the human resource sector in the country. In the public service alone there are more than 100 sons and daughters of wairokai who are serving the country in various fields says Minister Togamana.

In the area of climate change adaptation, the minister highlighted  that under one of  his Ministry’s donor funded project for climate change and disaster risk management called CRISP (Community Resilience to Climate and Disaster Risks), They  also completed water supply projects at Nahu, Kopo,  Kiu, Koruha, Tawaimare and Heo communities in West Are’are. Although the projects could not be officially commissioned due to timing and funding limitations, he is been informed that these community projects are now fully operational.

The Minster said last year, “I commissioned a bigger solar system at Selwyn College, funded by EU but also managed under our Climate Change Division. That system size is a pilot for big boarding schools and this system we are commissioning today is a pilot for Community High Schools. It is the aim of my Ministry and other sister ministries like Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification and Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development to replicate these two pilots in other schools throughout the country”

To the staff and students of Wairokai community school Minister Togamana said the benefits of the installation goes beyond just the provision of light. It has the potential to change the schooling and study habits of students, and it has the potential to either change or add to the current schools time table. Students and staff can now interact or have classes not only during the day but also at night.

Several Villagers spoken to during the launch expressed their gratitude to the National Government and the Malaita Provincial Government for choosing their school for this very important project. An excited mother said “Tagio tumas lo gavman for choosim place blo mifala for this fala project” referencing the fact that out of more than 5000 villages throughout Solomon Islands they are so privileged to have the solar project installed at their school. She said the provision of power will certainly provide an improved learning environment for their children.

Two students when asked about how they feel about having such an investment at their school responded by saying “Thank you tumas, mifala happy tumas”

The project is the result of very good collaboration between the Ministry of Environment through its Climate Change Division, Malaita Provincial Government and the Wairokai community in West Areare.

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Category: Environment & Conservation

Published: 01 September 2020

SBD2.8 Million seawall project at Tuagi underway

The Ministry of Environment, Climate Change, Disaster Management and Meteorology (MECDM) has been facilitating a proposed sea wall project at Tulagi, Central Province.

Nelson Henry Sara said the proposed sea wall project is financed by the World Bank under the Community Resilience to Climate Change and Disaster Risk Project (CRISP).

Mr Sara CRISP National Engineer said, under the MECDM, Tulagi sea wall project is a major project financed under CRISP and is aimed at assisting those communities who are vulnerable to climate change and Nofokava construction group has been contracted to undertake the project.

Mr Sara said the construction work has already started and is progressing smoothly as the main structure have already been erected below the sea level and precast has already been installed.

“For this project, we originally planned on a sheet pilling-structure, but it didn’t actually happen because it was quite expensive and then equipment’s to carry over to Tulagi were not affordable so that’s why we cnstructed a precast concrete-wall structure instead,” said Sara.

“This project has started since last October and was expected to be finished last month of June but since the elections took place in April, the ministry had to extend the time from July to September by which the project should be completed,” Mr Sara said.

Nofokava Construction Group Manager Eddie Walton also spoke of great significance this project could bring not only to Tulaghi town but to residents all through the station.

“My team consists of eight men, and we’re happy to undertake this project. As you would understands erecting a sea wall is not an easy task and we have encountered some difficulties especially when the sea wall is being erected from beneath the water and not on a dry area. The task is rather challenging as we continue to move bit by bit every day, especially laying of the steel rods at the foundation level. The wall is expected to stretch 240 metres long and the height 3 metres from sea level,” Mr Sara explained.

“Despite the challenges we have managed to completer the first phase of the project which is précising and we are now working on the second part which is cementing and pouring of cement,” he said.

The wall is being erected just outside Tulagi town, from the Tulagi market to the provincial rest house right in front of the Charles Woodward sports field.  According to the MOU the total cost of the project is around SBD $2.8 million.

SOURCE: PTMedia

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Category: Environment & Conservation

Published: 19 August 2019

One of the key activities under the Low Carbon Emission development project of the Climate Change Division in the Ministry of Environment Climate Change Disaster Management and Meteorology  (MECDM) has been launched at the Tetere Correctional Centre, Guadalcanal Plains today.

The Biogas system is a twenty cubic meter (20,000 litres) digester that produces biogas through anaerobic digestion of pig waste. The biogas which is predominantly methane is produced and captured within the digester and piped for cooking by the correctional centre kitchen staff. The biogas generated was also successfully used as fuel for a 3.6KVA biogas generator to produce power.

Launching the project this morning Minister for Environment Climate Change Disaster Management and Meteorology, Honorable Dr Culwick Togamana said before the project was implemented, pig waste was openly disposed into the environment and allowing methane gas to be directly emitted into the atmosphere. Methane gas is said to be 30 times more climate-harmful than carbon dioxide. Minister Togamana said the installation of the biogas system will have the harmful gas flared through the stove and breaking it down to lesser harmful gases like carbon dioxide and water vapour.

The Minister said it is the intention of his Ministry to work closely with other Ministries such as MMERE, MAL, Youth With A Mission (YWAM) and farmers to replicate similar systems throughout the country. He encouraged Livestock farmers to design their farms well and turn livestock wastes into low-carbon energy source for their use.

Also speaking at the ceremony is the Acting Commissioner CSSI Mr Michael Nagu who expressed his utmost gratitude for the excellent collaboration between the MECDM, YWAM international and the Correctional Services Centre in ensuring the successful completion of the project. He said the aim of the project is to promote biogas system that suites the national context for its accessibility, affordability, reliability and effectiveness. He said if enhanced and promoted properly, renewable energy sources should be the way forward for the country in displacing the expensive fossil fuel dependency.

As part of the project, 15 inmates at the Tetere Correction Centre were trained in the construction of biogas system to help them as they continue their rehabilitation before they finally reintegrate into the society again.

The project is worth approximately SBD$97,000 and funded through the development budget, as part of MECDM’s contribution to the DCGA 100-day priorities.

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Category: Environment & Conservation

Published: 28 September 2019

GCF and World Bank kick off hydropower project in Solomon Islands

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the World Bank have signed an agreement to implement the Tina River Hydropower Development Project to help the Solomon Islands transition from diesel-generated to clean, renewable energy.

The signing of the Funded Activity Agreement (FAA) enables GCF to begin transferring USD 86 million in climate financing to the World Bank for this USD 234 million project which is expected to provide a clean and reliable source of electricity in the capital, Honiara, by 2024.

Universal grid-connected electricity supply is a major challenge across the Solomon Islands. With a 45% electrification rate and a high dependency on diesel generators for power supply in the capital, the country has one of the highest electricity rates in the world (USD 0.82/kWh). The Tina River Hydropower Project will not only diversify Solomon Islands’ source of electricity, but will also shift Honiara’s grid from 3% renewables in 2017 to 68% at commissioning.

“Providing a clean and reliable source of energy is crucial to helping the people of Solomon Islands move towards the path of low-emission, climate resilient development,” said Yannick Glemarec, GCF Executive Director. “GCF’s unique capacity to take risks has made private sector investment in this project possible. We hope this project will be a good example for other Pacific island countries looking to develop in a sustainable way.”

The Tina River project is the first utility-scale hydropower plant in the country. It is also the first privately-invested renewable energy project in the Solomon Islands, and as such, is seen as a replicable model for other Pacific Island countries to use low-emission energy sources to balance variable solar power.

The project will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions as it will shift the country's dependency on diesel-generated energy to a more stable, green power supply with lower electricity tariffs. It will also help the state-owned Solomon Islands Electricity Authority to reach their goal of doubling the number of households in Honiara supplied with electricity by 2024.

“We are particularly pleased to sign this second project-level agreement with the Green Climate Fund,” said Laura Tuck, World Bank Vice-President for Sustainable Development. “The GCF contribution is an important part of the financing package that will enable this transformative, renewable power generation project to move ahead. We look forward to concluding our other project-level agreements with GCF in the near future and remain committed to deepening our partnership.”

“The World Bank is one of GCF’s key partners and with the signing of this agreement, we are accelerating the implementation of climate action projects on the ground,” said Glemarec.

GCF has nine projects with the World Bank worth USD 576.55 million in GCF funding, and USD 2.12 billion in co-financing. The first FAA signed with the World Bank was in February 2019 for the Pacific Resilience Project, which is now under implementation, in the Marshall Islands.

SOURCE: SONGDO 02 AUGUST 2019

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Category: Environment & Conservation

Published: 19 August 2019