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CMI to use renewable energy to produce potable water

October 26, 2010

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The Caribbean Maritime Institute (CMI) is receiving US$50,000 in grant funding to embark on a renewable energy project, which involves utilising solar and wind energy to provide potable water for domestic purposes.
Fisher folk on remote island outposts and residents in deep rural or remote locations are expected to benefit from the undertaking.
The Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme is providing US$40,000 for the project, with an additional US$10,000 in co-funding to come from the Environmental Foundation of Jamaica (EFJ). The GEF will officially hand over the money on Tuesday, October 26.
The project, to be undertaken by the CMI, will involve the use of simple, low speed wind generators, powered by halved 45-gallon drums that have been cut to create angled flaps, to run turbines, which will produce up to two kilowatts of energy. The power generated will be used to run a reverse-osmosis system that will convert sea water to fresh water.
Renewable energy consultant at the CMI, Charles Bromfield, told JIS News that the system to be developed is designed to produce potable water from rain and sea water, which will be purified on-site.
“I have developed what they call a hybrid system, so it’s going to use wind and solar. Wind will back up solar, solar will back up wind, because you know, sometimes you have wind, sometimes you don’t,” he explained.
Mr. Bromfield said schools can benefit from using the technology to provide potable water for sale. “So, you now have a method of getting sustainably pure water. So, we’d have the water, a little bag machine, a wind generator and we’d be able to bag the water and .the average school can use that as a project to earn some money,” he pointed out.
Since 1992, the Small Grants Programme has secured approximately US$401 million through the GEF to implement projects across the globe, which address critical environmental problems. This is in addition to US$407 million contributed by other partners in cash or kind.

Last Updated: August 13, 2013

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