Pacific Energy News (PEN), Number 2, June 2003
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Energy, Environment & Econonmic Number 2 JUNE 2003 Greetings to All Readers INSIDE THIS ISSUE As our fellow country men and initiatives such as the proposed Regional News women battle for medals at the wind farm for the Fiji Electricity 2003 South Pacific Games in Authority; the commissioning of a Petroleum News Suva, Fiji Islands we again geothermal plant in Papua New National News present to you the second issue Guinea by LIHIR Gold Limited; • LIHIR Gold Harnesses of the PEN for 2003. This issue the continuing progress with Geothermal Electricity - PNG differs slightly from the previous coconut oil as bio-fuel in • Coconut Oil Industry - Vanuatu ones as the header for the front Vanuatu; the convening of a • Saipan to build OTEC Plant page has been revised to reflect series of training workshops on The Promotion of Sustainable the current partners involved in solar PV, hybrid Renewable Energy Programmes the publication. systems,renewable energy Should Not be a Joke resource assessment and The change reflects the World’s First Wave Energy substantive completion of the equipment testing by OPRET - Turbine Launched SPC PREFACE programme and Fiji DOE, SEC - Kiribati, SOPAC & Energy Efficient Homes - an the departure of Mr Solomone UNESCO. We would also like to essay in the 2003 Earth Day competition. Fifita who is now based in SPREP, congratulate the Cook Islands Samoa as the Chief Technical and Marshall Islands in getting Wave Gauge Deployment and their Energy Polcies adopted Multi-Beam Mapping near Muani Adviser of the Pacific Islands Village, Kadavu, Fiji Islands Renewable Energy Project through their respective (PIREP). We hope that Solomone Governments. Vacancies - USP Physics Department will continue to contribute As we head across the half way articles to the PEN from his new mark for the year it is notable Meetings / Conferences desk. that within the next couple of weeks/months there are Energy activities in the Pacific Programme (1-10 Sept) workshops/meetings/conferences region have escalated since the planned. These include the: • The SOPAC Annual Session begining of this year with the in Niue (19 - 29 Sept) following regional projects • Experts Meeting on Capacity commencing. Building and the Development of We would also like to take this opportunity to thank those • Demand Side Management SIDS Energy Sources in Niue (07 - who have contributed to the Project with the Power Utilities; 11 July) • Pacific Power Association production of the PEN through • Institutional Capacity Building articles, comments, etc. on Renewable Energy Training; Conference in Palau (28 July - 01 Aug); Please note that the next issue • Pacific Islands Renewable • Gender, Energy and is due for circulation in mid Energy Project; Sustainable Development in September. Please send your • Biomass Resource Assessment Nadi, Fiji Islands (04 - 08 Aug) news, updates and articles to Training; • Pacific Islands Forum Diesel [email protected] or fax: +679 In addition, there are national Maintenance Training 3370040 by 31 August 2003. REGIONAL NEWS - an update on some of the current Regional Energy Projects (as of June 2003) Demand Side Management (DSM) Project • Project implementation SOPAC in collaboration with the Pacific Power Association (PPA) has approached the Power • Policy issues relating to biomass production Utilities in the Pacific region for their support and and use and linking this with environmental assistance in providing the baseline data needed considerations for designing DSM in-country projects. • Case Studies – The DSM project provides funding for 2 - 3 in- coconut oil, country demonstration projects. The selection of forestry Utilities for the implementation of these residues, demonstration projects will in part depend on the waste Utility’s level of committment and responsiveness treatment & to providing information for the designing phase. management A participant presenting her groups findings during the We would appreciate if completed questionnaires • A general workshop in Vanuatu. could be sent to the SOPAC Secretariat by the end introduction to of July. biomass energy – its role in the development process, its impact and other issues such as Please contact Mr Rupeni Mario at SOPAC on: [email protected]; or Fax (679) 3370040 for futher details. climate change and linking these with the various international agreements relating to Biomass Resource Assessment Project greenhouse gas emissions and climate The Biomass Resource change. Assessment Training Workshops have been The participants were able to identify some completed in the potential projects during the training and they following countries: included gasification projects using waste from Fiji Islands, Kiribati, saw mills, biogas digesters using pig manure, use of copra for coconut oil production and diversifying Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu During one of the Training and Vanuatu. Workshop sessions in Samoa tree plantation to increase income earning conducted by Dr Hemstock capacity of land owners. The training workshops were conducted by Imperial College, Please contact Mr Anare Matakiviti at SOPAC on: [email protected] Centre for Energy Policy and Technology or Fax (679) 3370040 for futher details. (ICCEPT) by Dr Deepchand and Dr Hemstock by a technical assistance consultancy. 2003 Earth Day Activity in the Pacific Islands The Biomass Resource Assessment training is The activity for this year’s Regional Earth Day was part of an overall regional programme designed a “Poster and Essay Competition for Schools” to facilitate the development of SOPAC member throughout the region with the theme “Energy for countries’ biomass resources in order to provide Life”. The focus for the competition was “Energy alternative options of meeting the countries Efficient Homes” and builds on last year’s team st energy needs. More specifically the training competition called “Energy Wizards of the 21 course covered areas such as: Century” that focused on energy auditing and energy saving in schools. • The biomass fuel production chains Page 7 & 8 provides two of the entries that have • Types of biomass resources e.g. energy been recieved for the 2003 Earth Day Competition. crops, residues and wastes (including The competition winners will be announced at a municipal, animal, human and industrial later date and published in the next PEN. wastes) Please contact Yogita Chandra at SOPAC on: [email protected] for • Methodologies for measuring biomass futher details. resources Pacific Energy News (Number 1 - March 2003) page 2 Institutional Capacity Building on Renewable Energy Training PETROLEUM NEWS SOPAC in consultation with UNESCAP and the Below is a recent BBC article which gives us Pacific Power Association developed a one aspect of the 'other side' of the reality of questionnaire and a methodology for the high fuel prices. Renewable Energy Training Needs Assessment. BBC World News 1 May 2003 The questionnaires have been distributed to energy contacts in SOPAC & UNESCAP member countries and other institutions. Exxon Profits Triple At present the contents of a pilot training Exxon Mobil, the world's programme on Solar Photovoltaic Project biggest oil company, has Development is being prepared. It is envisaged announced a threefold that the pilot training programme will be jump in profits, implemented in November 2003. Under a similar crediting a sharp rise arrangement USP will also run a pilot training in global crude oil programme and opportunities are being looked at prices. to link these together. The company said pre-tax profits for the first Regional Workshop on Gender, Energy and three months of 2003 came in at $7.04bn Sustainable Development (£4.4bn ; EUR6.3bn), up from $2.1bn dollars 4 - 8 August, 2003 - Nadi, FIJI Islands during the same period last year. The proposed workshop will help facilitate the The result was Exxon's best ever over three consultation process and bring together relevant months, beating its previous record of $5.2bn stakeholders from the energy sector, donors, and in the final quarter of 2001. partner organisations within the region and lead Shares in Exxon - which sells fuel under the to the development of a better understanding of Esso brand - were up 1.3% at $35.66 in early gender issues in the energy sector and how to trade on Wall Street. adopt a fully integrated gender crosscutting approach to existing and future energy projects. Supply uncertainty The Regional Workshop on “Gender, Energy and The company's strong performance reflected a Sustainable Development - A Working Strategy” recent rally in crude oil prices amid fears that aims to develop regional strategies and national the war in Iraq, an oil workers' strike in action plans that will assist in creating awareness Venezuela, and civil unrest in Nigeria would and identifying barriers on gender issues in the disrupt global supplies. energy sector. Exxon's bottom line received a further boost These strategies will build and further expand on from the sale of its stake in German natural the relevant components of the strategic plan of gas distributor Ruhrgas AG. the Pacific Islands Energy Policy and Plan (PIEPP) Exxon's revenues for the first three months of endorsed during the Regional Energy Meeting in the year also rose sharply, climbing to $63.8bn Rarotonga in July 2002. from $43.4bn one year ago. The workshop is supported by the following Other oil companies have also benefited from organisations: the rally in world oil prices, with the UK's BP Energia, Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, SOPAC, unveiling a record first-quarter profit of $3.7bn Taiwan ROC, UNDP and UNESCO. earlier this week. Please contact Yogita Chandra at SOPAC on: [email protected] for However, world oil prices are expected to fall futher details. in the months ahead as Iraqi output returns to normal, taking some of the shine off the oil sector's financial results. Pacific Energy News (Number 1 - March 2003) page 3 NATIONAL NEWS benefits for future generations. And we will be PAPUA NEW GUINEA using less fossil fuels, reducing the impact on the environment,” he said. The company anticipates considerable cost savings as a result of the LIHIR Gold Harnesses Geothermal Electricity reduction in its use of fossil fuel.