Venezuelan delegation visits Nevis; explore use of renewable energy in government owned high schools
General Manager POV St. Kitts Nevis Ltd. Maria Andreina Colmenores (front row, second from right) and other members of the Venezuelan delegation led by resident Venezuelan Ambassador to St. Kitts and Nevis His Excellency Ròmulo Henriquez Gonzàlez (back row, third from right) with Acting Premier of Nevis Hon Mark Brantley (extreme right), Minister responsible for Renewable Energy Hon. Alexis Jeffers ( front row, second from left), Acting General Manager of the Nevis Electricity Company Ltd. Jervan Swanston (extreme left) at the Nevis Island Administration office, Bath Hotel on June 04, 2015
NIA CHARLESTOWN NEVIS (June 09, 2015) — An eight-member delegation led by resident Venezuelan Ambassador to St. Kitts and Nevis His Excellency Ròmulo Henriquez Gonzàlez visited Nevis on June 04, 2015, to explore the possibility of installing solar panels and energy saving bulbs at the Charlestown and Gingerland Secondary Schools.
The team also met and held discussions with Acting Premier of Nevis Hon. Mark Brantley and Minister responsible for Renewable Energy Hon. Alexis Jeffers at the Cabinet Room, Bath Hotel.
Following the meeting, Mr. Jeffers thanked the Ambassador and his delegation for the initiative and said the Nevis Island Administration looked forward to any assistance that could advance and benefit the people of Nevis and St. Kitts and Nevis.
Meantime, General Manager POV St. Kitts Nevis Ltd. Maria Andreina Colmenores who was a part of the visiting delegation, told the Department of Information that the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, for the past 10 years, was one of 18 countries in Central America and the Caribbean, who are signatories to Venezuela’s Petro Caribe Agreement.She noted that the Agreement went beyond the provision of oil supplies and encompassed cultural and social programmes. Colmenores explained that they were in the process of transferring the technology and knowledge in the area of renewable energy.
“In the case [of Nevis] we propose to use some schools as a pilot [project] to install some solar panels or windmills. That will be a decision of the technician, in order to reduce the cost of electricity and to start changing our energy matrix to renewable and clean energy.
“We came with the president of the subsidiary POVSA. It’s an oil company. It is owned by Venezuela and they have a subsidiary that builds light bulbs and solar panels for renewable energy. The president of the company came here to do a presentation to both governments in St. Kitts and in Nevis to try to help the country to reduce cost working together,” she said.Also present at the meeting was Acting General Manager of the Nevis Electricity Company Ltd. Jervan Swanston. The group was accompanied to the schools by Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education Mr. Wakely Daniel.