The
most southerly of the Windward Islands, located between Trinidad
and Tobago to the south and St. Vincent and The Grenadines
to the north, the nation of Grenada consists of three islands
- Grenada with 120 square miles (311 sq. km) and about 90,000
inhabitants, Carriacou with 13 square miles (34 sq.km) and
a population of about 5,000 and Petite Martinique with about
486 acres (1.9 sq.km). Nicknamed the Isle of Spice, Grenada
is a major producer of nutmeg, cinnamon, mace and other spices,
as well as cocoa.
Although its proximity to oil and gas-rich Trinidad
and Tobago makes it a likely source of as-yet-undiscovered
gas and oil, Grenada also seeks to capitalize on its wealth
of renewable resources. Grenada has decided to launch a comprehensive
assessment of potential renewable resources including wind,
biomass, geothermal, hydroelectric, and solar energy. Perhaps
the most promising of these is wind energy. The island of Carriacou
may present a prime site for wind energy. Also, plans for potential
renewable options include aggressive promotion of solar water
heaters through a public awareness campaign and tax rebates
to purchasers, as well as the possibility of converting agricultural
waste to generate biomass energy. Though Hurricane Ivan wreaked
havoc on Grenada, causing an indefinite delay in the Nutmeg
Shell to Energy Project as well as other efforts, a new program
focusing on sustainable reconstruction is being prepared for
Grenada.
GSEII Projects in Grenada
Energy Efficient Lighting Project
The installation of 10,000 compact fluorescent bulbs is
planned.
Grenada Nutmeg Shell to Energy Project
Grenada produces an average of 5,200 tons of wet nutmeg
every year, producing and processing nutmeg for export
to the international spice markets. The nutmeg shell
is a biomass residue that potentially can be used as a
carrier to deliver energy to different types of end energy
users in the country. Although there are other potential
energy uses for nutmeg shell, such as the production of
briquettes for the local markets, production of carbon
black, etc, this project concentrates on electricity production
from the residue.
The project looks at a 50 KW capacity plant using nutmeg
shells and steam cycle technology for the generation of
electricity, and perhaps process heat as a combined heat
and power (CHP) plant to be used in conjunction with an
upgrade to the existing nutmeg refinery already installed
in northern Grenada.
The Nutmeg Shell to Energy Project was the priority project
as identified by the Summer Mission. However, due to a
major hurricane (Ivan, August 2004) in Grenada, the nutmeg
trees were severely damaged, and it is estimated that it
will take about 8 to 10 years for nutmeg production to
return to normal. That project has now been cancelled,
and a new program focusing on sustainable reconstruction
is being prepared for Grenada.
225 kW Wind Turbine on Carriacou Island
The UNIDO-GSEII team has been investigating the potential of
building a wind turbine in Grenada, utilizing the island's vast
wind resources to generate energy. The details of this project
are still under consideration.
Earth Home Project
In response to the category 4 Hurricane Ivan, which destroyed or
severely damaged 90% of Grenada's infrastructure in 2004, GSEII is
introducing the Earth Home concept to the island. This project is
in partnership with the Maryland-based Sustainable Design Group, Inc.
In this system, a home is fully integrated to support the lifestyle of
those occupying it; for example, electricity, hot water, cooking and a
sewer system is built using local materials.
St. Lucia | Dominica | Grenada | St.
Kitts & Nevis | Marshall
Islands | Fiji | Multi-Island
