Construction for 50-megawatt solar farm expected to begin in second quarter of 2025

St. Kitts and Nevis: The construction of the 50-megawatt solar farm is expected to commence in the second quarter of 2025. The project has been taken onboard for the transition of St Kits and Nevis from fossil fuel to renewable energy sources, aiming to pave the path of Sustainable Island Sate.  

At the roundtable interview, PM Dr Terrance Drew outlined the plans for renewable energy and called the project “a major step towards economic diversification.” He said that the project will bring down the cost of the electricity and efficiently cater to the rising demand on the national power grid.  

Development of Solar Farm  

The funding has been received by the government of St Kitts and Nevis for the drilling of the initial wells for the geothermal plant. The partnership has also been formed between the government of St Kitts and Nevis and the Saudi Fund for Development. With the partnership, the electrical connection grid will be formed between two islands, aiming to have a large geothermal reservoir.

The development of Solar Farm was halted in December 2024 after the partner failed to meet some requirements and deadlines.  

Benefits of the project 

Linking tourism with renewable energy, PM Dr Drew said cruise ships at the island-nation’s ports are demanding onshore power. It is to be noted that the onshore power can help in reducing emissions by enabling vessels to get electric power from an onshore power source to run onboard services without using their own diesel engines.  

“The country that can provide onshore power sooner will have the advantage in tourism, … so energy will have direct and indirect benefits for our country and that is why we are pushing so heavily on the solar plant and geothermal,” Drew remarked. 

St. Kitts and Nevis’s national renewable energy plans also include households shifting to renewable sources such as solar panels. This will not only bring down the cost of electricity for consumers but also the demand on the national power grid.  

A system of feed-in tariff is also under development to set a fixed price for renewable power sold to the electric grid by residential and commercial set-ups. 

St. Kitts and Nevis has also opted for the 'SKN 100' project which seeks to achieve rapid decarbonization of the energy sector through 100 per cent renewable electricity and high-energy efficiency in public buildings in a three-year period. It is funded by the Global Environment Facility and managed by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). 

The solar farm will enhance the renewable sources of energy as St Kitts and Nevis is in need to reduce energy cost and promote economic growth. According to the reports, around 95% of the electricity in the country is dependent upon fossil fuels, diesel, putting pressure on the foreign reserves.  

The solar farm will develop renewable energy sources to both reduce reliance on fossil fuels and improve the national energy security.