ST. LUCIA Electricity Services Limited (LUCELEC) will today host the official opening ceremony for its 3 megawatt (MW) solar farm in La Tourney, Vieux Fort.
Governor General Sir Neville Cenac, Prime Minister Allen Chastanet, Minister for Energy Stephenson King, and former US President Bill Clinton, along with LUCELEC officials will participate in the ribbon cutting to signify the formal opening of the solar farm.
The $20M project, located north of the Hewanorra International Airport, is historic for Saint Lucia.
It is the first utility-scale renewable energy project on the island and is funded, owned and operated by LUCELEC and its nearly 15 thousand panels will generate approximately 7 million kWhs (or units) of electricity per year.
Construction of the solar farm began in November 2017 and the solar farm began feeding the grid in April this year when the entire 3 megawatts came online.
GRUPOTEC, an international firm with extensive, worldwide experience in developing solar plants undertook the engineering, procurement and construction of the solar farm.
The Clinton Climate Initiative, an initiative of the 42nd US President’s Clinton Foundation, provided technical assistance during the procurement process for the project.
Rocky Mountain Institute and global energy and engineering advisory firm DNV GL assisted with project development, bid evaluation and contract negotiations for the project.
The 3MW solar farm meets about 5% of St. Lucia’s electricity demand and will reduce the volume of fuel purchased by LUCELEC by about 300 thousand gallons per year.
LUCELEC uses approximately 20 million gallons of fuel per year.
The solar farm builds on the work LUCELEC has been doing with grid-tied roof top solar PV systems since 2009 and it is expected to provide the impetus for more renewable energy initiatives, and in more ways than one, will change St. Lucia’s energy landscape.
St. Lucia Electricity Services Limited (LUCELEC) is the only commercial generator, transmitter, distributor and seller of electrical energy in Saint Lucia.
Established in 1964, the Company went public in 1994 and its shares are traded on the Eastern Caribbean Stock Exchange.
LUCELEC has developed a reputation in the OECS and the wider Caribbean as an extremely well-run, world-class utility.
In Saint Lucia, LUCELEC is, without a doubt, regarded as a best practice (model) company with a strong emphasis on customer service, innovation, employee development and social and economic development.
Founded in 1997, GRUPOTEC is an international company headquartered in Spain with a strong presence in the Caribbean region and offices in United Kingdom, United States, Morocco, Mexico and Algeria.
GRUPOTEC offers engineering, development and construction of renewable energy projects, with a portfolio of over 500 MW of solar PV plants worldwide.
Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) — an independent non-profit founded in 1982 — transforms global energy use to create a clean, prosperous, and secure low-carbon future.
It engages businesses, communities, institutions and entrepreneurs to accelerate the adoption of market-based solutions that cost-effectively shift from fossil fuels to efficiency and renewables.
In 2014, RMI merged with Carbon War Room (CWR), whose business-led market interventions advance a low-carbon economy.
The combined organization has offices in Basalt and Boulder, Colorado; New York City; Washington, D.C.; and Beijing.
The Clinton Foundation convenes businesses, governments, NGOs and individuals to improve global health and wellness, increase opportunity for girls and women, reduce childhood obesity, create economic opportunity and growth, and help communities address the effects of climate change.
The Clinton Climate Initiative (CCI) collaborates with governments and partner organizations to increase the resilience of communities facing climate change while reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
CCI has helped generate over 63,000 MWh of clean energy annually in the Caribbean and East African Islands. (LUCELEC)