The Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates visited Fiji this week to inaugurate three new microgrid projects in the Fiji islands. The UAE is providing US $5 million in funding for these projects through the United Arab Emirates’ Pacific Partnership Fund, which was launched in March 2013 to support renewable energy projects in the Pacific islands.
The microgrids will have a combined capacity of 555 kW and will supply over 40% of the electrical demand on three islands (Kadavu, Lakeba, and Rotuma). Additionally, the energy produced will save the islands nearly half a million dollars each year in diesel fuel and reduce carbon emissions by 722 tons.
“The UAE is committed to demonstrating how renewable energy can provide clean power and spur economic development while mitigating climate change, particularly for Pacific Island countries,” said H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates.
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