Tawain Provides Funding For Sustainable Energy Initiative in the OECS

CASTRIES, St. Lucia – Taiwan is providing US$200,000 to the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) as the sub-regional grouping continues its quest to develop the sustainable energy infrastructure across the Eastern Caribbean.

Taiwan Ambassador to St. Luccia Nicole Su, presents a US$200,000 cheque to Crispin d’Auvergne, Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management Coordinator with the OECS Commission, for the EC Solar Challenge, which will benefiOECS countriesTaipei said that the funding will support the Eastern Caribbean Solar Challenge, which is an initiative under the Caribbean Nationally Determined Contributions Finance Initiative (NDCFI) that aims to accelerate the adoption of solar energy across the OECS.

The initiative is also set to deploy photovoltaic (PV) systems on critical public buildings in St. Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and St Kitts-Nevis and the St. Lucia-based OECS Commission said that this will mark a significant leap towards energy independence and climate resilience as the 2025-2035 OECS Decade of Action for Sustainable Energy Development continues to take shape.

Climate Change and Disaster Risk Management Coordinator with the OECS Commission, Crispin d’Auvergne, accepted the funding from Taiwan’s ambassador to St. Lucia, Nicole Su, on behalf of the beneficiary member states.

“These projects, when completed, will serve as lasting and tangible examples of cooperation and a shared commitment to the pursuit of a sustainable future for our region. Let me express the wish and hope for continued collaboration as we continue the race to the sun,”  he said.

The Eastern Caribbean Solar Challenge, launched in May 2021, aims to accelerate solar energy adoption across government, private sector, and household levels. Taiwan was the first development partner to confirm tangible support.

d’Auvergne noted that as island nation itself, it demonstrated “understanding of the need for countries of our region to pursue a sustainable energy future that increases climate resilience while simultaneously reducing dependence on imported fossil fuels”.

The support from Taiwan will enable the installation of solar PV systems at the desalination plant on the Grenadine island of Bequia, from where residents get most of their drinking water. A significant amount of energy is required to remove salt from seawater for the 34,560 gallons of fresh water it produces every 24 hours.

The funding will also support the installation of a solar PV system at a school in St Vincent. Solar PV will also be installed at St. Lucia’s national forensic laboratory and the Public Works Department in Basseterre, St. Kitts-Nevis.

The OECS Commission said that the projects are designed to demonstrate scalable renewable energy solutions, and there is a strategic focus on public infrastructure as demonstration sites.

It said the phased implementation begins immediately, with St. Lucia and St. Vincent and the Grenadines projects entering installation stages in the coming weeks, followed by St. Kitts and Nevis, the latest beneficiary to receive Taipei’s support under the programme.

St. Lucia received its allocation in 2023, followed by St Vincent and the Grenadines a year later.

The Eastern Caribbean Solar Challenge aims for at least five megawatts of new small-to-medium photovoltaic installations by 2025. There is also a target of six MW of new installed solar power capacity across the OECS.

The initiative aims to achieve reduced carbon emissions, decreased reliance on imported fossil fuels, enhanced energy security, economic opportunities in the renewable sector, and increased climate adaptation capabilities.