NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (March 02, 2021) — The following is an update rom the Ministry of Human Resources in the Nevis Island Admiration (NIA) regarding the series of short training course offered online by the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme.
The Ministry of Human Resources in the Nevis Island Administration is pleased to inform that the Government of India is conducting a series of short training courses under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme.
The ITEC programmes are diversified in areas of:
Interested persons must register online at least four (4) days before the start of the course at https://www.itecgoi.in/index. All courses listed above commence in March, and each programme’s commencement date differs.
]]>The High Commission of India is pleased to announce the availability of several online short term courses including Solar Energy Technologies, Big Data Analytics, Finance for non-Finance Background and International Programs on Management Systems.
Interested persons are asked to apply online via https://itecgoi.in/e-itec. Applications must be submitted four days prior to the start of the courses. The earliest course commences on March 01, 2021. More information can be found via the above online portal.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 18, 2020 (PIPUD): A brief but meaningful ceremony on Thursday, 17th December, brought staff from across the various departments in the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Post and Urban Development to the Ministry’s parking lot in Needsmust for the Ministry’s first ever Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony.
All eyes were on the tree as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Infrastructure, Post and Urban Development, Hon. Shawn K. Richards and Permanent Secretary Daryll Lloyd flipped the switch to light the tree. Beyond the novelty of the event to the Ministry, the lights on the 8-foot spruce are solar-powered.
“It was only last month that we celebrated Energy Month and, as recent, as last week we held the groundbreaking ceremony for the launch of the Solar Farm so for us to have our very own Christmas tree lit through solar power, says that we are not only preaching renewable energy, but we are indeed practicing it here in our Ministry,” Minister Richards said. “It is my wish that other Ministries and even within the homes in the wider community that others would see what we are doing and follow the pattern to enable us to reach our goal of 100 percent renewable energy in the near future.”
Those in attendance enjoyed holiday music featuring the ever-popular carols such as Joy to the World, Away in a Manger and Silent Night as well as contemporary renditions of Christmas songs.
In giving closing remarks, Mr. Lloyd stated that he was delighted to join such a happy celebration, to spread light and share the hope of Christmas. “Tonight, as we light this tree, I trust that it will be a symbol of brightness in our lives even as we experience the darkness of pandemonium brought on by the pandemic and the other challenges we may face.”
The evening’s festivities were capped with the staff capturing memories by the tree and partaking in refreshments.
]]>BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, December 10, 2020 (MMS-SKN) — Prime Minister and Minister of Sustainable Development, Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, has said the construction of a US$70 million solar generation and energy storage project at the Basseterre National Valley Park along the Kim Collins Highway will bring improvement in the quality of life of all the people of St. Kitts and Nevis.
“You would have heard from the corporate side the impact of this project in terms of the delivery of green energy,” said Prime Minister Harris on Thursday December 10 at the ceremony where the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis in collaboration with the St. Kitts Electricity Company (SKELEC) and Leclanché SA, broke ground for the construction of the facility.
The Honourable Prime Minister noted: “In my view, the project which we are launching officially today marks yet another signal achievement by my Team Unity Administration in which St. Kitts and Nevis continues to be a leader in the Economic Union and the greater Caribbean region.”
According to Dr Harris, in the holistic way and multifaceted approach to which his Team Unity Administration pursues the good governance agenda, the project was prioritised. He noted that the Team Unity Government begins with the end in mind, and the end must be the improvement in the quality of life of all the people in St. Kitts and Nevis.
“In the more immediate term, I am advised that this project would see for our business sector and economy at large benefitting from a US$70 million investment project within the island of St. Kitts, but importantly there is no capital outlay from the Federal Government or SKELEC from this US$70 million investment,” said Dr Harris, noting: “It is simply for the investor to carry.”
Dr Harris observed that an approximate $30 million will be spent on local materials and services, which is in line with his Administration’s policy that whatever can be procured locally, must be procured locally. He pointed out that the project will provide immediate stimulus to the economy.
The Prime Minister had been advised that upwards of 200 jobs in construction may become available, construction being one of the sectors the Government will look to as a driver as it restarts and reboots the country’s economy. He added that land lease executed and was ongoing for the about 100 acres of land for use for the project.
“There will be hundreds of hours of heavy machinery for land clearing, for grading and site preparation of the property for hosting the solar panels, as well as cranes and trucking and heavy equipment for the material movement,” stated Dr Harris.
He told the gathering: “In other words, in the short term we should see significant economic activity where the small man and the big man like TDC and Horsford’s and others who are big, also benefitting from this project. Clearly there will be other opportunities too numerous to be mentioned here.”
The ceremony was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Infrastructure, the Hon Shawn Richards who also delivered remarks. Also delivering remarks was the Executive Vice President of Leclanché SA, Mr Bryan Urban, while the Chief Executive Officer of Leclanché SA, Mr Anil Srivastava, and Director of Soldrid Ltd Mr Rajnesh (Raj) Walia delivered remarks via video link. Closing remarks were delivered by SKELEC’s General Manager Mr Clement Jomo Williams.
The St. Kitts Electricity Company (SKELEC) Board was represented at the ceremony by Chairman Mr Don Boncamper, and members Mr Terence Byron, Mr Mahesh Nariani, Mr Alexander St. Juste, Mr Bertill Browne, and Mr Keithly Phillip.
Others present at the ceremony included the Minister of Tourism the Hon Lindsay Grant, the Minister of Human Settlements the Hon Eugene Hamilton, Ambassador His Excellency Ian Patches Liburd, Ambassador Michael Powell, and Permanent Secretaries Mr Daryl Lloyd of the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Mrs Elreter Simpson-Browne of the Ministry of Sustainable Development, and Mrs Sharon Rattan of the Ministry of Environment and Cooperatives.
“It is indeed an exciting development for our Nation at this time, literally and figuratively,” pointed out Prime Minister Harris. “We have in this endeavour a most esteemed partner. Leclanché SA is a world leading provider of high-quality energy storage solutions – they are also the oldest battery manufacturer.”
The Honourable Prime Minister noted he had been advised that the company is committed to accelerating the country’s progress in diversifying a cleaner and greener energy future. They have over 100 years of battery and energy storage innovation, powered by German engineering and Swiss quality. He said people can have confidence in the company’s proven capability.
In his conclusion Dr Harris said that the very fact that Leclanché SA is an international partner of high repute with which the country is doing business, “that speaks well to the Government’s agenda of good governance. It speaks well to our commitment to do the very best and to bring the very best of the investor class to St. Kitts and Nevis, not fly-by-night – people with a hundred years of history of reputation to defend and to protect. They have quality standards which they must adhere to.”
]]>BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, December 10, 2020 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis took a huge leap towards a greener and a more energy efficient future with the groundbreaking of the Basseterre Solar & Storage Project that will result in the buildout of a 35.7 megawatt solar farm and battery storage facility.
The symbolic groundbreaking ceremony on the $70-million project was held at Needsmust on Thursday, December 10, 2020.
The microgrid project is being built by Leclanché SA, a Switzerland-based energy storage company with over one hundred years of experience.
Chief Executive Officer of Leclanché, Mr. Anil Srivastava, delivered remarks virtually at Thursday’s ceremony. He stated that the project consists of a fully integrated 35.7 megawatt solar field and a 14.8 MW / 45.7 MWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system.
“Upon completion, more than 35 percent of electricity in St. Kitts will come from this green power plant. For the people of St. Kitts and Nevis what does this really mean? It means that we will power your homes in the night with solar energy; your air conditioners, your tourist resorts, your hotels and your businesses,” Mr. Srivastava said.
The Basseterre Solar & Storage Project will be the largest solar generation and energy storage system in the Caribbean, and one that will make St. Kitts and Nevis a model for other countries in the area of clean and renewable energy development.
Mr. Srivastava added, “You’re setting out a benchmark/an example for not only the Caribbean to follow but the rest of the world. Because we will use less of the dirty diesel fuel, we are going to set a benchmark for the Caribbean and the rest of the world to see how to transition from today’s dirty way of generating power to a clean and green energy future.”
It is expected that the system, once completed, will generate approximately 61,300 MWh of electricity with a 41,500 metric ton reduction of CO2 emissions.
The solar farm and battery energy storage facility will be built in the Basseterre Valley on a 102-acre plot of government-owned land in the area of the St. Kitts Electricity Company’s power station.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 10, 2020 (SKNIS): The official ground-breaking ceremony of the Basseterre Valley Solar and Storage Project for a 35-megawatt solar energy plant and the 45 megawatt-hour battery storage facility, was witnessed on Thursday, December 10, making the establishment of the largest solar plant in the Caribbean one step closer to being realized.
The Federal Government, in collaboration with The St. Kitts Electricity Company Limited (SKELEC), signed an agreement with Leclanché SA – one of the world’s leading energy storage companies based in Switzerland – in September 2019 to construct the largest solar generation and energy storage project in the Caribbean.
Chief Executive Officer of Leclanché, Anil Srivastava, who joined the ceremony virtually said St. Kitts and Nevis is on the right path to enhancing clean and green energy and noted that he is truly delighted to be a part of such initiative.
“Today is the day when St. Kitts and Nevis is leapfrogging to the clean and green energy future. We are here to celebrate the ground-breaking of the start of the construction of the project. We are also here in many ways to set an example of what a good public and private partnership should be about,” said Mr. Srivastava. “It is also a day to celebrate St. Kitts and Nevis’ leapfrog to clean energy and secure a clean energy future.”
Rajnesh (Raj) Walia, Solrid Ltd. Director, who also joined virtually said that St. Kitts and Nevis is a leader in innovation.
“St. Kitts and Nevis is the most advanced, forward-thinking, and at the forefront of embracing new advancement of technology in the Caribbean. St. Kitts and Nevis sets examples to the rest of the world and the Caribbean with most innovative infrastructure and investments initiatives,” said Mr. Walia. “In continuation of the leadership initiatives, we are today, witnessing the ground-breaking of the largest solar and battery storage project in the Caribbean as Solec Power Ltd.”
The 70 million dollars micro-grid project will be built by Leclanché in partnership with the St. Kitts Electricity Company (SKELEC) and the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis. Solrid and Solec Power Ltd also form part of the important project.
According to Mr. Walia, Solid Ltd., a St. Kitts-based company will be the general contractor of the Project and “will ensure that all the jobs created, heavy equipment requirements and construction material needs are fulfilled and sourced locally. This project is for the people of St. Kitts and Nevis and its people will work on this project,” he added.
The solar energy plant and the megawatt-hour battery storage facility will be built on 100 acres of crown land located in the Royal Basseterre Valley National Park utilizing a lease agreement. The plant will be constructed close to the SKELEC’s Power Station to facilitate the cost-effective transfer of energy. The construction of solar energy plants is part of the Government’s sustainable development agenda to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, December 10, 2020 (SKNIS): The construction of the largest solar farm in the Caribbean, which is expected to be completed within 12-18 months in St. Kitts and Nevis, forms part of the Government’s sustainable development agenda to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emission and signals the country’s commitment to renewable energy.
Speaking at the official ground-breaking ceremony of the Basseterre Valley Solar and Storage Project on Thursday, December 10, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Infrastructure, Utilities et al., the Honourable Shawn Richards, dubbed the event a “significant milestone” in St. Kitts and Nevis’ journey to produce “100 percent of the country’s electricity from renewable resources.”
“This solar farm represents a giant leap in our endeavour to become an island nation with a sustainable energy sector where reliable, renewable, clean and affordable energy services are provided to all its citizens, where energy, efficiency and the replacement of fossil fuels energy by renewable services will be promoted in all sectors of the economy,” said Deputy Prime Minister Richards.
Deputy Prime Minister Richards said when the farm is completed “it will have a capacity of 34 megawatts and 45 megawatts hours of energy storage, making it the largest solar generation plus energy storage project in the Caribbean.” The farm is also expected to “supply up to 18 megawatts of power to the grid between the hours 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. which is approximate 25-30 percent of the island’s electricity needs,” he added.
Upon successful completion of the farm, several benefits will be provided to St. Kitts and Nevis.
“The project will reduce the amount of greenhouse gases emitted in the Federation, thus assisting in meeting our obligations under the Paris Climate Agreement. The project will also reduce our exposure to unpredictable fossil fuel prices and simplify the process of long term financial planning for SKELEC,” said the deputy prime minister. “It will also make an increase in electricity tariff less likely and employ locals as already has been done.”
In September 2019, the Federal Government, in collaboration with The St. Kitts Electricity Company Limited (SKELEC), signed an agreement with Leclanché SA – one of the world’s leading energy storage companies based in Switzerland to construct the largest solar generation and energy storage project in the Caribbean.
The 70 million dollars micro-grid project will be built by Leclanché on 100 acres of crown land located in the Royal Basseterre Valley National Park utilizing a lease agreement. The plant will be constructed close to the SKELEC’s Power Station to facilitate the cost-effective transfer of energy.
]]>BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, December 10, 2020 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, in collaboration with the St. Kitts Electricity Company (SKELEC) and Leclanché SA, broke ground today (Thursday, December 10) for the construction of a $70-million solar generation and energy storage facility as part of the Basseterre Solar and Storage Project.
Leclanché SA is a Switzerland-based company that provides high-quality energy storage solutions based on lithium-ion cell technology.
Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris participated in Thursday’s groundbreaking ceremony at Needsmust, where he stated that this project forms part of his Government’s sustainable development agenda.
“My government recognizes that the direct risks of climate change negatively impact agriculture, our fisheries, our forestry, our health care systems and indeed our tourism. All pillars of our own economy are being impacted by the phenomenon of climate change. Storms and flooding frequently damage buildings and infrastructure, and droughts lead to a drop in agriculture production. We live annually with the ever present danger of hurricanes…so whatever we in St. Kitts and Nevis do in this fight, is not only in our duty to humanity as inhabitants of this planet that we all share, but it is in our own national interests as a small island developing state,” Prime Minister Harris commented.
Prime Minister Harris further noted that this venture holds numerous benefits for the people of St. Kitts and Nevis, while at the same time allows the Federation to fulfil its role and responsibility in the global community’s response to the threat of climate change.
Dr. Harris added, “This 35.7 megawatt-capacity plant with storage capability will provide cost effective, cleaner and quieter electricity that can bring to near zero the island of St. Kitts carbon footprint for energy production. This of course would be a first, a first in terms of the dramatic reduction in carbon footprint by any country in the Western Hemisphere. I am advised that the island of St. Kitts has a system load on a typical weekday ranging from 18 to 24 megawatts, with the occasional spike up to 28 megawatts. This solar plant with its storage capacity could negate the need for running most of our diesel generators on a continuous basis.”
“Pursuant to the long-term savings to SKELEC, the people and the business community of St. Kitts can expect a long-term stable supply of power. It makes for better financial planning as we embark on rebuilding and innovating our economy to secure the stronger and safer future to which we all must endeavor. It builds our resilience in our utility infrastructure which is critical to our sustainable growth and development,” the honourable prime minister added.
Construction of the solar generation and energy storage facility is expected to be completed within 12-18 months.
Under the Power Purchase Agreement between SKELEC and Leclanché SA, the Switzerland-based company is responsible for the development of the resource and technology for the project and will undertake the development and operational risk. SKELEC will only procure firm megawatt hour (Mwh) under the terms of the agreement.
The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by several Government ministers including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister responsible for Public Infrastructure, Energy et al., the Honourable Shawn Richards; Executive Vice President of Leclanché, Mr. Bryan Urban; General Manager of the St. Kitts Electricity Company, Mr. Clement Williams, as well as representatives of the diplomatic and consular corps.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 01, 2020 (SKNIS): Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris shared a few tips with the general public to encourage them to preserve St. Kitts and Nevis’ environment and reduce our vulnerability to climate change.
“We asked that persons use water efficiently daily, employ water conservation measures such as using low flush toilets, low flow taps and showers, implement water conservation measures such as water harvesting, plant more trees as trees absorb carbon dioxide and emit oxygen,” said Prime Minister Harris during the September 29 edition of ‘Leadership Matters’, a virtual forum on ZIZ TV.
Dr. Harris also touched on the use of alternative energy.
“High-efficiency lighting such as compact fluorescent and eventually LED light sources can be used at industrial and retail operation, as well as in the households. The use of rooftop solar panels as an alternative to fossil fuel energy is encouraged and solar water heater should be used instead of electric water heaters,” said Dr. Harris.
PM Harris encouraged the general public to adopt best practices of reducing, reusing and recycling at the household, community and national level.
Equally important, Dr. Harris also encouraged persons to support the local farming industry.
“We continue to push the buy local and, in this regard, we encourage consumers to buy fresh food rather than processed food since carbon-based energy might be used to produce processed food. Support the local farmers and the backyard gardeners. Fresh fruits and vegetables are very good for our health and are far superior to the processed ones,” he said, while commending St. Kitts and Nevis’ “productive farmers and those who are engaged in backyard gardening.”
The use of drip irrigation and other good farming practices were also encouraged.
]]>Basseterre, St. Kitts, October 01, 2020 (SKNIS): The establishment of the largest solar plant in St. Kitts and Nevis, as well as the replacement of street lamps, is expected to significantly boost the energy sector in the Federation.
“There is a proposal for the build-out of an alternative energy programme, and in this regard, the Government at the Federal level has signed a contract to establish the largest solar plant in St. Kitts and Nevis,” said Prime Minister Dr. the Honourable Timothy Harris during September 29 edition of ‘Leadership Matters’, a virtual forum on ZIZ TV. “This will go a major way in reducing our dependence on fossil fuel.”
The Federal Government, in collaboration with The St. Kitts Electricity Company Limited (SKELEC), signed an agreement with Leclanché SA – one of the world’s leading energy storage companies based in Switzerland – in September 2019 to construct the largest solar generation and energy storage project in the Caribbean.
The 35.6-megawatt solar energy plant and the 44.2 megawatt-hour battery storage facility will be built on 100 acres of crown land located in the Royal Basseterre Valley National Park utilizing a lease agreement. The plant will be constructed close to the SKELEC’s Power Station to facilitate the cost-effective transfer of energy.
The construction of solar energy plants is part of the Government’s sustainable development agenda to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.
Equally important, Prime Minister Harris indicated that some ten thousand and forty-seven (10047) street lamps will be replaced.
“These are high-pressure sodium mercury vapour lamps with high efficient LED models. That is, we want to replace over ten thousand (10000) street lamps that have mercury content with more efficient LED models,” Dr. Harris stated. “Similarly, the project envisaged that 1024 existing flood lamps at various sporting fields and courts around St. Kitts and Nevis will be replaced with the more efficient LED models.”
The prime minister said that the “effect of the two projects will lead to an estimated 44 percent reduction in the government’s energy bill.”
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