UNDP Eswatini initiates one of its largest green projects to date

November 30, 2021

© UNDP Eswatini. The Prime Minister of Eswatini Cleopas Dlamini breaking the ground at RFM Hospital.

Last month, UNDP celebrated the start of another successful greening mission - a 1 Megawatt solar power system at the Raleigh Fitkin Memorial (RFM) Hospital in Eswatini - one of the largest solar power projects UNDP Eswatini has ever supported.  
 
The project, being delivered by UNDP in partnership with the Government of Eswatini and the Italian Government’s Ministry for Ecological Transition, is expected to contribute to a 536-tonne reduction in CO2 emissions annually and yearly savings of USD 176,714.  
 
The solar power project is part of a EUR 7 million agreement between UNDP and Italian Government aimed at promoting clean and efficient energy, building infrastructure resilience and supporting sustainable development in Eswatini.  
 
The RFM hospital solar power installation marks a significant milestone in Eswatini’s climate change response It will become a demonstration project providing an opportunity to pilot the benefits of clean energy systems which can then be replicated in other hospitals or public or private institutions in the country. The overall goal of the project is thus two-fold, to reduce energy demands and costs while raising country-wide awareness of using renewable energy sources.   
 
Replacing existing fossil-based power and heat generation systems with clean renewable energy will reduce energy demand and energy costs, reduce dependency on grid and generator fuel while contributing to minimizing CO2 emissions, thus supporting the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 13 of ‘Climate Action’ and 7 of “Affordable and Clean Energy”.  
 
Team Leader for Environment and Climate Change in Eswatini CO, Onesimus Muhwezi, is working with the UNDP Information and Technology Management team (ITM) to deliver the project. 
 
He explains, “The Eswatini CO has leveraged the technical expertise of the ITM Green Energy Team to design and implement a digitally enabled solar energy system for RFM. The team has also been on hand to provide training for the Eswatini technicians on monitoring energy use as part of local capacity building for sustainable operation and maintenance.  
 
We are now working together to undertake energy audits in 20 additional healthcare facilities as part of the RFM scale up and replication strategy
.“ 
 
The installation will also have a direct impact on the hospital and the local community, as the solar PV system will reduce electricity costs and thereby enable the hospital to use the savings to reduce the cost of health services. Additionally, there is the potential for nearby schools to access and utilize excess electricity generated from the solar installation.  
 
RFM Hospital Administrator and member of the project working group, Leonard Dlamini, notes, “The Greening project is a great pride to the RFM Hospital and the local community. We seek to provide holistic healthcare to our clients and this flagship project will help us present alternative energy generation methods that are safer and natural and thus easier on the environment.“

© UNDP Eswatini. UNDP Resident Representative Rose Ssebatindi speaking at the inauguration ceremony.

A live-streamed inauguration ceremony on 1 October, was attended by 120 guests including the Prime Minister of Eswatini, Italian Consular and UNDP Resident Representative Rose Ssebatindi. Watch the recording of the ceremony here.