A total of 100 solar streetlights, 66 batteries and $20,000 was donated by the Republic of China (ROC) at a handover ceremony for the community streetlighting project last week at the Marshalls Energy Company warehouse in Delap.
The $20,000 is for local procurement purposes for the project and installation costs.
Through the National Energy Planning Division, Ministry of NRC, RMI government received the aid from the ROC government. The project aims to provide lighting to communities in the outer islands by distributing and installing solar streetlights to assist local governments in taking an active role in developing their own renewable energy projects by using Outer Island Economic Development funds from Ministry of Culture and Internal Affairs.
The new batteries will replace old batteries for the solar streetlights that are in Majuro.
The new solar streetlights will be used as a matching grant. Each local government is encouraged to procure a number of solar streetlights and with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Commerce ready to match these outer island local government solar light purchased. The maximum number of streetlights each local government can reach is 10.
Minister Dennis Momotaro expressed his gratitude towards the government of the Republic of China for partnerships in energy initiatives. He said implementation of the Solar Streetlight Project began in 2011 with assistance from ROC Embassy, Ministry of Natural Resources and Commerce, and Marshalls Energy Company.
Read more about this in the April 13, 2018 edition of the Marshall Islands Journal.