Press Release: Saint Lucia Issues Request for Proposals for 3 MW Airport Solar Park

Saint Lucia Issues Request for Proposals for 3 MW Airport Solar Park

“The solar installation will bring renewable energy investment from around the globe to Saint Lucia.”—Jules Kortenhorst, CEO Rocky Mountain Institute and Carbon War Room

February 22, 2016, Castries, Saint Lucia—St. Lucia Electricity Services Limited (LUCELEC) released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for competitive firms to submit bids to develop a 3 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project this month.

The 3 MW solar park will reside north of Hewanorra International Airport and represents the first utility-scale solar project in Saint Lucia. Once operational, the peak solar capacity is anticipated to provide over five percent of the island’s power generation needs.

Earlier this month, LUCELEC and the Ministry of Sustainable Development, Energy, Science and Technology announced their commitment to renewable energy at the National Energy Transition Strategy (NETS) signing ceremony. This RFP demonstrates quick progress and dedication by both parties toward achieving Saint Lucia’s energy goals.

“LUCELEC is pleased to have finally gotten this project off the ground and our expectation is to commission at least one megawatt of solar PV by the end of this year. Together with the work that we have started on the proposed wind farm in Dennery, we are making steady progress on adding renewable energy to our electricity generation mix,” said LUCELEC’s Managing Director, Trevor Louisy.

The RFP solicits bids from engineering, procurement, and construction firms to design and build the solar park that will be owned and operated by LUCELEC.

This marks the first utility-scale renewable energy project facilitated by the partnership between Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) and Rocky Mountain Institute and Carbon War Room (RMI-CWR). Over the past year, a team from CCI and RMI-CWR have worked with Caribbean partners to create an open, fair, and competitive marketplace for renewables. Partner countries include: Anguilla, Aruba, Bahamas, Belize, Colombia (San Andrés Islands), Grenada, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Turks and Caicos, and the Seychelles.

The team helps countries accelerate their renewable energy transition by guiding the planning process, de-risking projects, and by building an online Caribbean Renewable Energy Community that enables continuous knowledge exchange.

In addition to the Saint Lucia project, the following project work is anticipated in 2016:
Aruba: 3–5 MW Solar
Bahamas: 1 MW Solar/Energy Efficiency
Montserrat: 250 kW Solar and 3 MW Geothermal
San Andrés, Colombia: 12 MW Wind
Seychelles: 4 MW Solar
The Saint Lucia project RFP submissions deadline closes February 24, 2016.

The work of CCI and RMI-CWR would not be possible without the generous support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, the Global Environment Facility, and the Dutch Postcode Lottery.