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Island nations are in danger for local weather change. A brand new photo voltaic plant will allow Barbuda to cut back annual diesel gas consumption by 406,000 litres and minimize carbon dioxide emissions by over 1 million kg.
The United Arab Emirates UAE-Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund (UAE-CREF) introduced that the hurricane-resistant energy undertaking developed by Masdar for Antigua and Barbuda to resist even the fiercest winds, is now operational.
In the wake of Hurricane Irma, which destroyed 95 % of Barbuda on sixth September, 2017, and compelled all 1,800 residents to be evacuated to Antigua, the climate-resistant plant is designed to outlive 265 km-per-hour winds and supply a protected, dependable, and sustainable provide {of electrical} energy for the island.
Some of Green Prophet’s members of the family had been airlifted out of Dominica after a hurricane destroyed the island.
The hybrid photo voltaic, batteries, and back-up diesel undertaking is already serving to to help the twin-island nation’s goal of assembly 86 % of its electrical energy sources from renewable vitality by 2030. The Green Barbuda undertaking was formally inaugurated at an occasion on the island of Barbuda by Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Hazza Ahmed Al Kaabi, UAE Ambassador to the Republic of Cuba, and Ambassador Brian Challenger from Ministry of Energy of Antigua and Barbuda, accompanied by a delegation from native and state entities.
Masdar developed and carried out the Green Barbuda undertaking as a part of its work beneath UAE-CREF, the biggest renewable vitality funding of its sort within the area.
Masdar’s mannequin eco metropolis simply exterior Abu Dhabi
Fully financed by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD), the US$50 million UAE-CREF was launched at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2017 as a partnership between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA), ADFD and Masdar. New Zealand, Antigua and Barbuda and the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) additionally supplied funding for the undertaking.
Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director-General of ADFD, mentioned, “It is a landmark achievement for the UAE-CREF to have pushed an vitality transformation in Antigua and Barbuda at such a scale. The undertaking took into consideration the nation’s excessive dependence on fossil gas imports for vitality wants regardless of having the potential to use its photo voltaic, wind and geothermal energy. This initiative highlights the extraordinary functionality of fresh vitality to drive socioeconomic growth. This is why ADFD is multiplying its effort to speed up the vitality transition within the growing world, because the UAE leads the best way to a low-carbon and zero-emission future.”
Read Also: Masdar shows off smart city and smart irrigation
Renewable energy performs a key function in enhancing vitality safety inside rising markets, particularly in small island international locations which might be susceptible to the results of local weather change.
The Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, mentioned, “The Government and folks of Antigua and Barbuda are extraordinarily appreciative of the help from the UAE in our efforts to realize sustainable growth. In that regard, the Green Barbuda electrical energy undertaking has been a very transformative one for Barbuda. It harnesses our indigenous renewable vitality sources and has supplied for the switch of cutting-edge applied sciences in addition to capability constructing on the native stage to handle the undertaking.
The undertaking helps Antigua and Barbuda’s efforts to cut back its dependence on pricey and risky imported petroleum fuels and to develop our personal renewable vitality sources. At the identical time, it additionally permits us in each adapting to and mitigating the opposed impacts of local weather change. We look ahead to persevering with to collaborate with the UAE and different companions in increasing this undertaking as a showcase of sustainable vitality within the Caribbean.”
The undertaking combines a hybrid photo voltaic photovoltaic (PV) plant, that includes 720 kilowatts-peak (kWp) of photo voltaic PV panels, related to an 863 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery, and able to totally assembly the island’s present daytime vitality demand. The plant will allow Barbuda to cut back annual diesel gas consumption by 406,000 litres and minimize carbon dioxide emissions by over 1 million kg.
The UAE-CREF initiative intends to deploy renewable vitality tasks in 16 Caribbean international locations in three cycles to cut back vitality prices, enhance vitality entry, and improve local weather resilience.
Projects have already been efficiently launched within the Bahamas, Barbados, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
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