The government signed another power purchase agreement on Tuesday with CVB Utilities Limited for the construction of a solar energy facility in New Providence.
Prime Minister, the Hon. Philip Davis was at the signing ceremony held at his office. He said, “the monthly electricity bills are too high and blackouts too frequent, everyone agreed, but the real dangers were fiscal and infrastructural.”
Minister of Transport and Energy, the Hon. Jobeth Coleby-Davis provided details of the origin of the purchase agreement saying, “the PPA we are signing emanated from the request for proposals for New Providence microgrids and the new energy generation via renewables with energy storage systems that was launched by the government of The Bahamas.”
According to the Minister the new 20 megawatt solar plant will be constructed near the C. V. Bethel Senior High School. It will also have 5 megawatt hours of battery storage. She said, “battery energy storage is a critical technology in building sustainable and resilient energy systems. The battery enables the storage of electricity energy generated at one time to be used at a later time. This capability is significant and vitally important as we move from fossil fuels to renewable energy sources.”
Bahamas Power and Light Chief Operations Officer, Anthony Christie said the project combines significant solar generation with cutting edge storage technology with will strengthen the grid and provide cleaner energy. “This system is designed to provide renewable firming, limit peak load and improve reliability which is definitely a game changer for balance energy demand across the grid.”
Director of CVB Utilities, Justin Cunningham said the new solar energy plant will help to stabilize and optimize the national grid. “The project represents a major step forward toward energy independence and reduced reliance on imported fossil fuels.”
This latest signing is part of the government’s energy sector reform efforts announced last year.
