By Gabriella Chapman
THE township of Bartica will soon be receiving electric vehicles as part of the “Transitioning to National Energy Security: Bartica as a Model Green Town” project continues.
This project is in its second phase and is being carried out by the Office of Climate Change (OCC). The implementation of Phase II commenced on December 1, 2019, and it seeks to catalyse the uptake and diffusion of alternative energy solutions in Bartica.
Head of the OCC, Janelle Christian, told Guyana Chronicle said that this project commenced in 2017 following President David Granger’s declaration of Bartica being the model ‘Green’ town.
“He (Granger) would have articulated his ambition for Guyana to become a ‘Green State’, and as part of that process, he identified Bartica to be the model ‘green’ town; meaning that Bartica would serve as the incubator that all the new initiatives, in terms of the ‘green’ concepts, would be piloted, tested and then replicated across the country for that bigger goal of us achieving that status of a ‘Green State’,” Christian said.
She said the vision of the President triggered the involvement of the OCC.
“Guyana would have also indicated the start of a global commitment or ambitions to transition to 100 per cent renewable energy. That is a climate change mitigation commitment, hence, we got involved mobilising support and financing from the Government of Italy… Under that broader commitment that the Italian Government has with CARICOM, they provide support to CARICOM member countries to advance their climate change ambition,” she explained.
Expounding further that phase one of the project involved all the baseline work for Bartica, she said that they would have undertaken a number of studies in the township, which was made possible with a grant of US$650,000 from the Government of Italy. The first phase enabled the OCC to articulate this second phase, she noted.
All transportation in Bartica are either diesel or gasoline-driven. The energy audit conducted in phase one has provided useful information on the town’s carbon footprint and the need to move towards either hybrid or electric vehicles. Critical for this transformation though, is the need for the building of the necessary human capacity to sustain the investments.
“We used information coming out particularly from the transport study, to extend and take advantage of the continuing support provided by the Government of Italy. So we would have articulated a second phase of the project, which we are now focused on the actual tangible investment. We now want to roll out the actual piloting of E-mobility in Bartica. And that is a second grant of US$725, 000,” Christian disclosed.
She noted that this grant is not just for the vehicles but it includes a number of other complimentary activities.
“The complementary activities under this grant will involve having the requisite skill, in terms of an expert; undertake a pre-feasibility study in terms of what is applicable to our context, given what is happening regionally and further afield. And considering our own national priorities as articulated in our Green State Development Strategy. Guyana would have included transitioning to electric vehicles as an important action that we need to take. We have to also find out what is the right type of vehicle, and with this new type of technology, you have to ensure that you have the requisite skillset. That will include us working with the Ministry of Education, GTI and CTVET to ensure we provide support to develop a curricula or adjustment of the existing module,” Christian explained.
Additionally, as part of the complimentary activities, the project is focused on four areas: Invest in human capacity building to sustain the investments made (technical vocational training); pre-feasibility study on waste to energy facility; collect data on the investments and share the lessons learnt with the municipality and residents of Bartica and other municipalities across the country; and Deployment of Electric Vehicles in Bartica.
A press release on the background of the project stated that one of the GSDS recommendations (D4.3) highlights the need for Guyana to begin to transition to Electric Vehicles (EVs} and the supporting infrastructure that will help to reduce the rising emissions generated from the use of diesel and gasoline-operated vehicles. This recommendation also stressed the need for skilled mechanics and repair stations, attractive sources of new ‘green’ jobs over the period of transition that should be proactively developed with local partners and stakeholders.
Mayor of Bartica, Gifford Marshall said the township is grateful for the efforts of the OCC under the leadership of Christian, to make the town greener, cleaner and healthier.
“Phase one of this project would have paved the way for sound decision-making going forward. Now Bartica is looking forward for Phase two which will bring tangible benefits to the township. These tangible benefits will definitely be models for other towns in the country. Starting the process of hybrid vehicles is a step in the right direction and one in which we believe will definitely transform, the economic, social, and other sectors of this township,” Marshall said.
