Project Management
Nauru
Nauru, with a population of 10,000 spread over an island of 21 km2, was once one of the highest per-capita users of electricity among the Pacific Island Countries. The Nauru Utilities Authority is the publicly-owned sole electricity supplier for the entire country. At the beginning of the REP-5 project, it did not have the capacity to meet the entire island's load so a 4-hour load shedding regime was in place during the day. The high per-capita consumption may have been explained by the flat rate for electricity ($5/month, later increased to $50/month), regardless of actual consumption, and a general lack of understanding of the issues surrounding energy generation and consumption among the public. Furthermore, many customers were not metered, and meter reading was irregular.
Nauru has had little experience with renewable energy technology in the past, save for limited solar water heating and a small-scale OTEC plant in 1981. There is no governmental agency responsible for renewable energy. The only major renewable resource that may be exploited for the foreseeable future is solar power, as Nauru enjoys an average irradiation of 5.8 kWh/m2/day. Wind data have been measured at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) station in Denig district for over 10 years, and a wind mapping study was conducted in 2006. PIGGAREP is to fund a wind energy assessment at the locations that the 2006 study determined to be of high potential. Due to the extensive phosphate mining, the development of biomass as an energy source is limited unless extensive rehabilitation of the mined area is undertaken. Ocean technologies (wave, tidal, OTEC) are still under development and do not have the proven reliability necessary for operation in remote environments. They are therefore not an option for the near future.
Renewable energy projects
Grid-connected PV system on roof of Nauru College
A 40 kWp grid-connected PV system has been installed on the north and south roofs of Nauru College. The installation contract was signed in May 2008, and the system became operational in October 2008. The Nauru Utilities Authority (NUA) and local contractors were involved in the installation of the system and were trained on its operation and maintenance by the installation contractor. The project also included a training kit for science teachers to teach students about photovoltaic technology.
Data collected between October 2008 and April 2009 were analyzed in May 2009 to identify trends and potential problems. The full report is available here (895 kb), with the summary available here (61 kb). A subsequent study completed in May 2010 may be found here (683 kb).
Since its installation in October 2008, the PV system has been generating 4,500 kWh per month on average. This translates to a fuel saving of 1,325 L per month at the power station.
The total cost of the project was € 300,000
Source: IT Power
PV system at Nauru College (south roof)
Energy efficiency projects
Supply and installation of prepayment meters
As the NUA charged a flat rate for residential electricity consumption, household electricity consumption in Nauru was the highest in the Pacific as there was no incentive for energy efficiency and conservation. Prepayment meters were supplied to the NUA as part of its reform strategy, which aims at recovering its generation costs through a mix of demand-side management and a user-pays tariff structures. The meters arrived in October 2008, with installation beginning in early May 2009 on all residential and commercial customers. Over 1,800 prepayment meters were installed by August 1st 2009, the first day that the prepayment metering system came online.
The REP-5 project formulated an electricity tariff schedule that gradually introduces increases in the tariffs to move towards cost-recovery at the utility. The tariff structure was approved by Government in July 2008, and came into force on August 1st 2009 when the prepayment metering system was activated. Initial public reaction to the new meters has been positive, as the NUA is now providing 24-hour access to power on the entire island and customers are willing to pay for the improved level of service. Click here to download the Minister for Utilities' presentation to pariliament on August 18th 2009.
The total cost of the project, including supplies and installation, was € 1,180,000
Source: Landis+Gyr
Single-phase prepayment meter and remote keypad
Source: IT Power
Installed single-phase prepayment meter
Source: IT Power
Prepayment meters (right) and new switchboard (left) on apartment block in Location district
Energy efficiency actions
As Nauru's per capita electricity consumption is one of the highest in the Pacific, large gains in fuel reductions for power generation are possible through energy efficiency measures. An Energy Efficiency Officer was recruited in November 2007, and oversaw the energy efficiency actions contained in Nauru's Energy Efficiency Action Plan (EEAP) until May 2009. External technical assistance was contracted in March 2008 to develop the EEAP in conjunction with the Energy Efficiency Officer. The EEAP was finalized in December 2008, and the activities contained within were implemented until June 2010 by two new Energy Efficiency Officers hired in July 2009. The Nauru Energy Efficiency Community Awareness Programme was launched in August 2009.
Download the Energy Efficiency Action Plan (127 kb)
The total cost of the energy efficiency activities, including the drafting of the EEAP, was € 150,000
Source: IT Power
Energy Efficiency Officers in front of energy efficiency mural at the power station