3.2MW Solar Plant for St. Lucia
The St. Lucia Electricity Services Limited (LUCELEC) will soon begin the process of constructing a 3.2 megawatt solar power plant, the first major renewable energy project on the ground.
LUCELEC Managing Director Trevor Louisy said the company intends to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the construction of the solar farm at La Tourney, Vieux Fort, a town located near the southernmost point of the island. The project will form part of a power complex the company is proposing to develop.
The RFP will be circulated internationally and it is the company’s hope that within the next several weeks a successful bidder will be identified and a contractor in place by May, he said.
Louisy said the intention is to have at least one megawatt of solar power commissioned by the end of this year, and add the remaining two megawatts subsequently.
He made the announcement last Thursday as LUCELEC signed an agreement for the development of an Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) with government that will make provision for a team of independent consultants from Carbon War Room (CWR), the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), the Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) and DNV GL, to assist both parties in designing a viable energy transition strategy for the country.
The consulting team will develop a plan for moving St. Lucia’s energy sector from where it is now to where it needs to be, to give effect to the goals and objectives of the National Energy Policy, a government statement said.
“The plan will determine how best to integrate the optimum mix of renewable energies into the national energy grid, at the least cost, without compromising the stability and reliability of the electricity system. It will determine what improvements need to be made to the electricity infrastructure (transmission and distribution systems) on the island, and how best to ensure that LUCELEC remains viable, given that the electricity system underpins St. Lucia’s economy,” it added.
The statement noted that the process will also allow for public input into the energy strategy.
Excerpts from: http://www.caribbean360.com
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