Barbados has launched the second phase of its Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) procurement process, a critical step in tackling ongoing grid congestion that has stalled the growth of the renewable energy sector.
The tender process will open the door for developers to bid for up to 60 megawatts of battery storage.
Projects must be at least 1 MW in size, and each bidder can be awarded up to 30 MW or 120 megawatt-hours in total.
The official Request for Proposals will be published on July 9, when the full set of documents will be uploaded to the Government’s Bonfire procurement portal.
These include the Energy Storage Agreement, Energy Storage Licence, Interconnection Agreement, and along with the terms under which developers can participate.
Energy Minister Senator Lisa Cummins described the move as a turning point for the country’s clean energy push.
“The media has carried stories that have referred to [a] gridlock. I want to stand here today and say that the launch of this project is about grid unlock. That’s what we’re here for this morning,” she said.
“This project this morning is the transition from not being able to connect people’s projects to the grid at an individual level… not being able to unlock over $500 million in potential investment that has been trapped in the banking system because these projects need to be operationalised.”
She further pointed to the country’s hefty fossil fuel import bill, noting that these funds could better be spent on national development priorities.
Senior Technical Officer in the Ministry of Energy and Business, Destine Gay, said strong interest was shown during the preliminary Request for Information issued last year, with 11 companies submitting 39 prospective projects, only two of which came from international developers.
“This is where interest becomes action and ideas become investment. Only two of the companies that responded were international. All the rest were local,” she said, noting that the responses signal that the market is ready.”
The battery storage rollout is expected to help clear the backlog of renewable projects awaiting grid connection and support Barbados’ target of 100 per cent renewable energy by 2035. (SM)
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