(GOVERNMENT OF ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA SIGNS MOU WITH THE PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA FOR SOLAR POWERED STREET LIGHTS)
Ambassador Diann Black-Layne, Director of the Department of Environment, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on behalf of Antigua and Barbuda with the People’s Republic of China on the sidelines of COP30 in Belém, Brazil. The agreement will see the provision of 1,500 solar-powered street lights and 200 residential photovoltaic (PV) and energy storage system (ESS) units to Antigua and Barbuda, through the Ministry of Ecology and Environment of China.
This initiative represents a major step in advancing the country’s renewable energy transition and aligns with Antigua and Barbuda’s ongoing efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, enhance energy efficiency, and build climate resilience. The installation of solar street lights will improve public safety and visibility in communities, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, and lower electricity costs for local authorities. Additionally, the inclusion of residential PV and ESS systems will allow households to generate and store clean energy, promoting energy independence and ensuring greater stability during power disruptions caused by extreme weather events.
Ambassador Black-Layne noted that the partnership underscores the growing spirit of international cooperation in addressing the global climate crisis and demonstrates China’s continued support for small island developing states (SIDS) in achieving their sustainable development and energy transition goals.
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This is what I hate that the government or politicians go ahead of the technicians, but what do you know? because some of the engineers at APUA is just job entitled. During the UPP time they did the same and went ahead of the technicians, but guess what the engineer was non corporative because he is a ALP supporter at the time and was peeved at UPP taking over , so they offered no input, not that he has any, because though UPP did a great thing of illuminating the country, the method of doing so wasn’t looked at for future planning, they had the Chinese buried miles of low voltage cable across the island which should have been high voltage cable instead, the high voltage cable would have given us a resilient system that would a pioneer the future of putting all power lines underground.
Then came the ALP with the solar powered streetlights been granted again by the Chinese government without technical advise, but not that this head engineer at APUA had anything to advise on because he is job entitled by political connections, the solar lights arrived and was allowed to be install without any modifications to the batteries position or anything, the batteries was design to be at that 10 ft height for develop countries on highway where nobody sleeps , always traffic that will prevent theft, and by the way other Caribbean islands like the Virgin island had the same streetlight and relocated the batteries to the top, why is it so difficult for our so call Antiguan engineer think of that? The next thing the amount of infrastructure to mount these street lights is insane, procuring concrete and masons and heavy equipment and steel and forming is not feasible or economical, there is a simple cheap helix auger mounting stand that can be screwed down in the earth by the APUA digger derrick truck and the street light pole structure bolted to it. And besides the fact of getting streetlight, these solar powered streetlight can come equip with camera connected by sim card to help with prevention and solving of crimes, we have the inet department of APUA, the politicians should be ask for their input. Antigua is always behind because of the muscle headed politicians, if the present APUA head is unable to come with solutions look beyond him or her, the subordinates must have ideas they want to implement or if not bring in outside help, the PLM did it in the 1970’s to improve the APUA when it was inaugurated as a statutory corporation. All I beg these politicians don’t get these lights unless they are an all in one battery and solar LED and camera combination lamp, so it will be one compact thing, because they have to be removed during hurricane and not what was allowed to happen by the head of APUA during the storms we had all the solar panels were destroyed, also procure the helix augur mount foundation to eliminate concrete work to install them, listen to a thoughtful technician, as Paddy Simon say ” is not what said, a who say” so make a better choice for the country and don’t be guided by these intellectually lazy engineers, and the Chinese will be glad also to dump.garbage on you from their over manufacturing if you don’t know any better.
This is what I hate that the government or politicians go ahead of the technicians, but what do you know? because some of the engineers at APUA is just job entitled. During the UPP time they did the same and went ahead of the technicians, but guess what the engineer was non corporative because he is a ALP supporter at the time and was peeved at UPP taking over , so they offered no input, not that he has any, because though UPP did a great thing of illuminating the country, the method of doing so wasn’t looked at for future planning, they had the Chinese buried miles of low voltage cable across the island which should have been high voltage cable instead, the high voltage cable would have given us a resilient system that would a pioneer the future of putting all power lines underground.
Then came the ALP with the solar powered streetlights been granted again by the Chinese government without technical advise, but not that this head engineer at APUA had anything to advise on because he is job entitled by political connections, the solar lights arrived and was allowed to be install without any modifications to the batteries position or anything, the batteries was design to be at that 10 ft height for develop countries on highway where nobody sleeps , always traffic that will prevent theft, and by the way other Caribbean islands like the Virgin island had the same streetlight and relocated the batteries to the top, why is it so difficult for our so call Antiguan engineer think of that? The next thing the amount of infrastructure to mount these street lights is insane, procuring concrete and masons and heavy equipment and steel and forming is not feasible or economical, there is a simple cheap helix auger mounting stand that can be screwed down in the earth by the APUA digger derrick truck and the street light pole structure bolted to it. And besides the fact of getting streetlight, these solar powered streetlight can come equip with camera connected by sim card to help with prevention and solving of crimes, we have the inet department of APUA, the politicians should be ask for their input. Antigua is always behind because of the muscle headed politicians, if the present APUA head is unable to come with solutions look beyond him or her, the subordinates must have ideas they want to implement or if not bring in outside help, the PLM did it in the 1970’s to improve the APUA when it was inaugurated as a statutory corporation. All I beg these politicians don’t get these lights unless they are an all in one battery and solar LED and camera combination lamp, so it will be one compact thing, because they have to be removed during hurricane and not what was allowed to happen by the head of APUA during the storms we had all the solar panels were destroyed, also procure the helix augur mount foundation to eliminate concrete work to install them, listen to a thoughtful technician, as Paddy Simon say ” is not what said, a who say” so make a better choice for the country and don’t be guided by these intellectually lazy engineers, and the Chinese will be glad also to dump.garbage on you from their over manufacturing if you don’t know any better.
5,000 already heredy and this is another 1,500?. The fact is it not only with this matter and the agency but may others also. Ohh well!
I now saw the streetlights signing agreement, and it is sad, it was done by a non technical person, a diplomat or some status person, we are going to be forever set back by paternalism, the Chinese will just give us something, not that any one here have purpose to determine what is beneficial to the country. Sad! Sad! Hon. Prime minister Gaston brown wake up! You are a young man, put proper technocrats in place to help the country and not comrade, some people here that don’t have a college degree could do better for the country.
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