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Community Lifelines Programme - Energy Sector - Renewable Energy Hybrid Systems for Rural Electrification
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Renewable Energy Hybrid Systems for Rural Electrification
The continuous increase of fossil fuels costs affects quite heavily developing countries in a context of a steady growth of their energy demand. The island states of the Pacific, because of a scattered geography, a weak density of population and a fragile economy, are among the first concerned. In the middle term, hundreds of remote atolls risk a marginalization, their activities and local economies already fragile are more and more pressurised.
The appeal of renewable energy technologies (RET) comes as an appropriate option to guarantee the energy self-government of atolls and struggle against climate change inducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. On this last point, one can remind that the geographical situation of the island states of Pacific makes them particularly vulnerable in consequences of nowadays noticed climatic change.
Most of the PIC led plans of electrification from sources of renewable energy. Copra Oil production has a strong basis in the Pacific, as 6 of the 15 members of the Asian and Pacific Coconut Community are from Pacific Island Countries. It sounds obvious that a local development of know-how is available as well as some massive natural resources for RET and a favorable orientation of political will, settled in a fragile but dynamic economic context that offer today an encouraging basis.
Maneaba in Kiribati where copra is stored caused by lack of transport opportunities to Tarawa; this copra could be used locally to produce fuel.
However, there remain needs of external assistance and funding for the development of reliable technologies, which depend on the quality of expertise brought upstream, and the fine analysis of institutional context for the installation of permanent management entities.
In addition, each Renewable Energy Technology (RET) has its specific limitations. Therefore, more research is required to combine different sources of RETs into one system to 100% replace diesel fuel for remote power applications in the Pacific.
In close collaboration with the Energy Officials from the respective countries, outer islands on Fiji and Kiribati will be investigated. Fiji is indeed deeply involved in RET both for grid connected applications and rural electrification, with dozen of significant positive feedbacks on prior projects. Kiribati distinguishes itself as a proof of concept of large scale electrification of remote islands based on solar, with a RESCO type management scheme.
The idea is to focus on islands already electrified with diesel grid. The reason for such a choice rests with the initiative of centering the work on the technical and economical feasibility. Already electrified sites selected for the study should show a relevant experience with electricity supply, distribution and management, thus they already fulfill the requirements to focus the present work on the improvement of the electricity supply component, by substituting expensive diesel generation with hybrid technologies 100% based on RET.
The remote atoll of Abemama in Kiribati has been selected as the island to carry out a Solar / Coconut Oil Hybrid System study. (Source: Google Earth)
Objectives
The goal of this work is to have available a complete study on two beforehand identified sites dealing with socioeconomic, technical and institutional aspects allowing to evaluate hybrid systems as an opportunity for significantly improve remote island electrification. This study will also help to compare different technical and management solutions justifying the long-term economical viability of such systems versus traditional energies. Social, economic and environmental impacts will also be largely considered in order to lead to a full and objective cogitation on the relevancy of such projects.
The study, funded by the French Pacific Fund through the French Embassy in Suva , is coordinated on by Transénergie, with SOPAC, in close collaboration with the Fiji Department of Energy and the Kiribati Energy Unit.
Methodology
STAGE 1: Initial analysis of the main RET electrification project linked with coconut biofuel developed and under going in Fiji and Kiribati.
STAGE 2: Field surveys. Once the 2 sites are properly identified, a field valuation will be undertaken to each site to specify the energy context and probable impact of the proposed project.
STAGE 3: Specific studying of the development of local copra production units.
STAGE 4: Technical design of the hybrid system
STAGE 5: Technical and economical analysis and funding mechanism proposal
STAGE 6: Training and capacity building assessment / institutional framework of pilot project implementation
STAGE 7: Dissemination of results
The team will draft an implementation, operation and maintenance scheme for each project that will define the tasks that must be carried out and highlight the required interactions between the project stakeholders.
Probable benefits and impacts to the environment, individuals, villages, rural economy as a whole will be estimated and included in the draft.
Envisaged Outcomes
(i) to appraise and debate on the relevancy and viability of such project based on the developed running patterns, (ii) to federate a global dynamic towards the concrete implementation of pilot units. If outcomes and proposals would be approved, corresponding projects will be asserted for inclusion into the National Indicative Plans of the 10th EDF.
For more information contact:
Arieta Gonelevu
Senior Energy Project Officer
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Contributors to this page: atishma
,
sakaio
and
jan
.
Page last modified on Thursday 24 of July, 2008 [03:35:43 UTC] by atishma .
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