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 Basseterre, St. Kitts, March 29, 2022 (SKNIS): Numerous sporting facilities across St. Kitts and Nevis will soon be outfitted with new light-emitting diode (LED) lights as part of the government’s thrust to utilize more energy-efficient and cost-effective technologies and upgrade the infrastructure available to the local sporting communities.

The installation of the new sports lights is a component of the ongoing project entitled the ‘Street and Flood Light Retrofitting Project’ which is financed by a loan through the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and represents a collaborative effort between the Ministries of Sustainable Development; Finance; Public Infrastructure, and Sports, as well as St. Kitts Electricity Company (SKELEC) and Nevis Electricity Company (NEVLEC).

“In the project’s initial phase, the Federal Government invested over EC $4.6 million in the purchase of new LED streetlights which were successfully installed on both islands over the period 2020-2021. The project’s second phase was mobilized in June 2021, with the delivery of over 260 LED floodlights for installation at sports facilities on Nevis, followed by the delivery of over 450 LED floodlights in February 2022, for installation at sports facilities in St. Kitts,” said Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Mrs. Elreter Simpson-Browne.

PS Simpson-Browne said that the ministry continues to work closely with SKELEC and NEVLEC, and other project stakeholders, to facilitate the smooth rollout of the installation activities with minimal disruption to the public.

She said that the installation of LED lights will have a positive impact on the country’s demand for energy.

“The retrofitting of the sports facilities with LED lamps will increase the energy efficiency of sports lighting, thereby reducing the electricity bill to the Federal Government and Nevis Island Administration (NIA) and facilitating the reallocation of resources to other development needs,” she said. “Further, the LED supplier – the renowned Musco Sports Lighting LLC of Iowa, USA – will assist in supervising the installation activities to ensure that the various facilities meet or exceed lighting standards for national, regional or international sporting events.”

According to PS Simpson-Browne, the investment by the Federal Government in upgrading the new sports light infrastructure is pegged at over EC$ 5.9 million.