Grenada to get China assistance in Climate Change Adaptation

by Michael Bascombe

DURBAN, South Africa, December 5, 2011 - Grenada is to benefit from a multi-million dollar Chinese project aimed at adapting to climate change.

Under an AOSIS- China Climate Change Adaptation Pilot Programme (CAAP), Grenada will receive more than two million US dollars in technology assistance in the first tranche, over a five-year period.

The announcement was made on Monday by China’s Vice Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission, Xie Zhenhua, on the sidelines of the 17^th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Durban, South Africa.

The project is characterised by a capitalised Revolving Fund as the key mechanism to help Small Island Developing States (SIDS) adapt to climate change.

Grenada’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Karl Hood said that the technology transfer revolving fund/CAAP would provide private and public sector agencies in SIDS, with financing for the acquisition of hardware, equipment and training from China, on loans, with repayment linked to the savings in fuel imports.

“Such upfront financing is considered critical to the successful development of a sustainable energy sector in SIDS,” he said.

“South-South cooperation is not new and China has consistently demonstrated this,” said Minister Hood. “What is new, additional and is very promising, is the application of these efforts to climate change and climate change adaptation, mitigation and financing.”

The immediate beneficiaries of the project are major public buildings including the Ministerial and Financial Complexes, Hospitals and Police and Fire Stations.

Lighting and cooling technologies will be implemented under the first phase of the project with the replacement of the current T12 (40 watts 4 feet long) fluorescent bulbs with the LED equivalent and fitted with an adaptor that allows it to be slotted into an existing T12 fitting.

More than 20,000 LED equivalents will replace the fluorescent bulbs and about 1,000 incandescent 100 watts (screw fitting) bulbs used for exterior security lighting with the LED equivalent with photocells, according to Energy and Sustainable Development Advisor, Hugh Sealy.

The plan is also to replace existing High Pressure Sodium street lamps with the LED equivalent. The Grenada Electricity Company Ltd (GRENLEC), at the request of the Government of Grenada, installs between 600 to 900 new streetlights per year. Currently there are approximately 8,000 streetlights installed in Grenada.

It is hoped that Grenada can request approximately 3,000 LED streetlights. However, a pilot programme is requested before moving to full procurement. GRENLEC will also require a service contract with the supplier.

Sealy said that Grenada is also interested in the use of solar technology to achieve space cooling. “It’s estimated that up to 50 percent of the energy costs for buildings is for air-conditioning,” he said. “We are particularly interested in using solar hot water and absorption chillers for air-conditioning.”

Initially, the Financial and Ministerial Complexes will be targeted in the CAAP.