MINISTER’S FOREWORD
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The Island of Nauru
Nauru is one of the smallest independent, democratic states in the world. It is a republic with a Westminster parliamentary system of government but with a slight variance as the President is both head of government and head of state. The island is small, isolated, coral capped with 21km2in area, 20km in circumference, located in the central Pacific Ocean 42km south of the equator and 1287km west of the International Date Line. Ocean Island (Banaba) is its nearest neighbour.
Nauru is faced with serious economic challenges. Its once thriving phosphate industry has ceased operation thus depriving Nauru of its major lifeline revenue source. The local infrastructure, including power generation, drinking water and health services, has been adversely affected in recent years by the decline in income from phosphate mining. However, further explorations of the residual phosphate deposits have raised hopes that there may be potential to keep the phosphate mining for yet sometime. With fewer prospects in the phosphate industry, Nauru has to look at other alternative revenue sources to support its economic development. Unfortunately, for a country of the size of Nauru (21 km2) with its limited natural resources, the options are not many. Nauru now is highly dependent on donor support especially from Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Taiwan (ROC). It is important that Nauru develops and strengthens its partnership arrangements with the above countries to be able to meet the goals of its national development strategies which have identified key areas to be targeted in order to achieve some degree of economic stability.
The Government has prioritized reforms in the electricity and water sectors and in the management of fuel. With the recent adoption of its National Energy Policy additional legislation will be developed as required to provide a clear and practical path towards sustainable development.
Acronyms and Glossary
AUD | Australian Dollar |
CFL | Compact Fluorescent Lamp |
Demand | The rate at which a facility demands electricity from the grid |
Demand Side Management | Managing the users’ consumption of electricity (or energy). |
EDF-9 | 9th European Development Fund |
EEAP | Energy Efficiency Action Plan |
EEO | Energy Efficiency Officer |
Energy Audit | A process whereby all electrical appliances in a particular building are recorded with its power rating and usage time including information on user behaviour. A detail process will also include measuring of power consumption by appliances and a building. |
Energy Conservation | Refers particularly to the user behaviour where energy usage is minimised through behavioural changes such as switching off lights when not in use, and minimising usage time of appliances. |
Energy Efficiency | Technical means such as efficient appliances, efficient electricity generating technologies, efficient vehicles, replacing incandescent light bulbs with CFLs |
GON | Government of Nauru |
km | kilometre |
REP-5 | Support to the Energy Sector in Five ACP Pacific Island States Programme |
SOPAC | Pacific Islands Applied Geoscience Commission |
GJ | Standard abbreviation for Giga-Joule(s). A unit of energy. Equal to 1,000 MJ, equals 1,000,000 kJ. |
kJ | Standard abbreviation for kilo-Joule(s). A unit of energy. Equal to 1,000 Joules. |
kW | Standard abbreviation for kilo-Watt(s). A unit of power. Equal to energy use at the rate of one kJ per second. |
kWh | Standard abbreviation for kilo-Watt hour. A unit of (normally electrical) energy. Equal to power of 1 kW for 1 hour. |
kW | kilo-Watts |
l/s | litres per second, a measure of air or liquid flow rate. |
MD | Maximum Demand. The highest recorded demand (averaged over 15 minutes) during the billing period. |
MJ | Standard abbreviation for Mega-Joule(s). A unit of energy equal to 1,000 kJ. |
m/s | Metres per second, a measure of speed. |
Power | The time rate of energy conversion |
1.0 Background
The high electricity consumption situation in Nauru has been attributed to access to very cheap electricity during the years when the economy was doing well from phosphate mining – historically, it was access to free electricity when the Nauru Phosphate Company was operating. Now with the turn-around in the economy situation, Nauruans have been challenged to re-adjust their lifestyles particularly, in relation to the use of electricity. This has been further constraint with the limited electricity generation capacity coupled with other issues such as the limited cash-flow situation and no tariff structure, resulting to residential customers paying a flat rate of AUD5.00 per month despite the amount of electricity consumed.
The Nauru Energy Efficiency Training and Public Awareness Campaign is part of an overarching project with the primary objective of poverty alleviation by improving access to electricity to ameliorate living conditions. With the specific aim to improve the demand side efficiency of the energy sector in Nauru, the campaign has been structured to: commence an energy efficiency awareness raising and public education programme; and build capacity of local agencies including the training of the Energy Efficiency Officer to carry out energy efficiency programmes such as information dissemination and public awareness activities with energy audits and implementation.
More specifically, the campaign will also initiate the development of an outline for an Energy Efficiency Action Plan (EEAP); and conduct energy audits at Government buildings and selected residential houses. There are a number of foreseen challenges that could be of hindrance to the success of the proposed activities particularly, in the sustainability of energy efficiency and conservation programmes in Nauru due to the lack of incentives, policies and plans, to name a few. It is however envisioned that the Nauru Energy Efficiency Training and Public Awareness Campaign will reinforce the need for efficient and conservative use of energy; and mobilise additional resources to develop, adopt and implement relevant mechanisms for the betterment of Nauruans.
The EEAP has been developed through a consultative process involving stakeholders from the public sector, private sector and civil society groups. The EEAP provides a guideline for the development and implementation of energy efficiency strategies for the immediate future and mid-to-long term. It has been developed under an integrated planning approach, with the view that the EEAP is only one of the many policy instruments that will be put in place by the Government to ensure that the Nauru economy develops to its full capacity given the many current challenges. The EEAP adheres to the principle of partnerships. It is therefore essential that the involvement of the private sector and civil society groups in its implementation be encouraged.
The overarching vision of the EEAP is as in the Nauru National Energy Policy vision statement: “Secure and sustainable energy, enabling the social and economic development of Nauru”. The Ministry of Utilities is foreseen to provide the lead role in the implementation of this energy efficiency action plan.
2.0 | Medium to Long-Term Plan [5 – 10 years, 2010-2020] |
The medium to long term plan is structured over a five to ten years period that overlaps with the short term priorities. For continuity the strategies and activities outlined in the short term priorities are brought forward with an expanded scope.
2.1 Goal(s)
2.1.1 Poverty alleviation by improving access to electricity and thus the living conditions; and
2.1.2 Reduce the amount of fossil fuel imports through the provision of affordable and environmentally sound technologies, as well as the implementation of energy efficiency and conservation measures.
2.2 Strategies and Action Plan
2.2.1 Strategy: Establishment of a Demand Side Management Team
A Demand Side Management (DSM) Team will be established within the Power Utility to continue the implementation of this action plan. Associated costs will be the salary package(s) for the DSM Team. The DSM Team will be provided an annual realistic target in terms of kilowatts (kW) to be reduced through energy efficiency and conservation measures.
2.2.2 Strategy: Loss-Analysis of the Electricity Transmission and Distribution System
A detailed loss analysis of the transmission and distribution system is expected to be commissioned in 2010. The study will recommend an upgrading plan for the improvement of the transmission and distribution system of the Power Utility. Funding for this activity will be sourced from possible funding mechanisms from the regional and or international portals.
2.2.3 Strategy: Capacity Development for Local Personnel
A capacity development programme for local personnel, in the area of energy efficiency and conservation, will be formulated as activities progress through the short term priorities.
2.2.4 Strategy: Promote energy efficiency and conservation measures /practices through educational and awareness programmes
Will focus on the promotion of environmentally-friendly and sustainable use of energy. It will be an on-going activity from the short term priorities to ensure that messages get across to all levels in society including the commercial and industrial sectors of the economy. The detailed activities of this strategy will be an extension and or outlined in the Campaign Plan Activity 3.2.2.1.
2.2.5 Strategy: Conduct Energy Audits
Energy auditing would be a periodic exercise particularly for those consumers willing to progress energy efficiency and conservation measures through investing into energy efficient retrofits and appliances. It is with anticipation that at this stage there will be sufficient in-country capacity to conduct thorough energy audits – one of the major activities of the DSM Team.
2.2.6 Strategy: Demonstration of Energy Efficient and Conservation Measures and Practices
The demonstration strategy as of this stage will focus on investments in energy efficient appliances and retrofits that will provide a reasonable payback period. It is expected that the Strategies and Activities in the short term priorities will provide sufficient evidence, awareness and education for customer confidence to consider investing into such schemes. The primary target customers would be the top 5 electricity consumers. A comprehensive residential programme on energy efficiency and conservation will also be developed.
2.2.7 Strategy: Strengthened Legal and Regulatory Frameworks
The progress of the standards and appliance labelling project developed as part of the short term priorities. In addition, other appropriate regulatory mechanisms as referred to in the national energy policy framework will be developed and put forward for Government adoption and implementation.
2.2.8 Strategy: Promote the Use of Alternative /Energy Efficient Technologies
The successful demonstration of alternative /energy efficient technologies in the short term priorities will determine the buy-in from consumers. Appropriate incentives have to be regularised to enable the availability and affordability of such technologies.
This document provides a series of activities identified in the Nauru Energy Efficiency Action Plan (EEAP) that will be implemented within the period January – December 2009. The implementation of these activities has been made possible by the EDF-9 REP 5 funding through the second programme estimate. It is also noteworthy that these activities address some of the short term priorities as in the EEAP.
Promote the implementation of demand-side-management strategies for increased energy efficiency at all levels.
The following matrix provides an outline of proposed activities to commence the implementation of short term priorities of the Nauru Energy Efficiency Action Plan.