St. Kitts and Nevis starts to a built largest solar farm in the Caribbean

This project is expected to completed within 12-18 months, the government has set a sustainable development plan to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emission and signals the country’s commitment to renewable energy.

Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis: As to get more electricity from nature without its exploitation, St. Kitts and Nevis have decided to construct, the largest solar farm in the Caribbean region.

This project is expected to completed within 12-18 months, the government has set a sustainable development plan to contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emission and signals the country’s commitment to renewable energy.

 At the formal ground-breaking ceremony of the Basseterre Valley Solar and Storage Project Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Infrastructure, the Honourable Shawn Richards, entitled the event a “significant milestone” in St. Kitts and Nevis’ mission to produce “100 per cent of the country’s electricity from renewable resources.”

Deputy Prime Minister Richards stated that this solar farm represents a giant leap in our effort to become an island nation by a sustainable energy sector where safe, renewable, clean and affordable energy services are presented to all its citizens, where energy, power and the replacement of fossil fuels energy by renewable services will be developed in all sectors of the economy.

Deputy Prime Minister Richards noted when the farm is completed “it will have a range of 34 megawatts and 45 megawatts hours about energy storage, making it the largest solar production plus energy storage project in the Caribbean.”

 The farm is also supposed to “supply up to 18 megawatts of power to the grid within the hours 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. which is approximate 25-30 per cent of the island’s electricity needs,” he continued.

In successful completion of the farm, several benefits will be provided to St. Kitts and Nevis.

 

“The project will reduce the number of greenhouse gases emitted in the Federation, thus assisting in meeting our obligations below the Paris Climate Agreement. 

The project will also reduce our exposure to unpredictable fossil fuel prices and simplify the process of long term economic planning for SKELEC,” said the deputy prime minister.

“It will also make an increase in electricity tariff less likely and employ locals as already has been done.”

 

In September 2019, the Federal Government, in collaboration with The St. Kitts Electricity Company Limited (SKELEC), signed an agreement with Leclanché SA – one of the world’s leading energy storage companies based in Switzerland to construct the largest solar generation and energy storage project in the Caribbean.

 

The 70 million dollars micro-grid scheme will be built by Leclanché on 100 acres of sovereign land located in the Royal Basseterre Valley National Park utilizing a contract agreement. 

This plant will be built close to the SKELEC’s Power Station to facilitate the cost-effective transfer of energy. 

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