There is a structural shift in terms of infrastructure from centrally diesel generation to renewable energy, says Asian Development Bank senior Pacific energy specialist Anthony Maxwell.
During the ADB Pacific Business Media Summit in Sydney, Australia, last week, Mr Maxwell said many parts of the world were focusing on renewable energy by providing government subsidies to get a baseload of renewable energy technology.
This, he said, did not apply to the Pacific.
“In the Pacific we are looking at the overall cost, which is about 25c kilowatt-hour (kWh). To feed the diesel generator with diesel costs 35c kWh — this is not including all the infrastructure costs to set up,” he said.
“The average tariff in the Pacific in 2012 was 43c kWh. The next phase of renewable energy is cheaper than diesel generation.”
Suva (Fiji Times)
