On Monday October 1, the Government of Montserrat, through the Ministry of Communications, Works, Labour and Energy awarded Florida-based Company ‘Salt Energy’ an EC $1.89 million dollar contract for the installation of a 250 kilowatt (KW) Solar power system on the island.
The installation of this solar power system is the first phase of the 1 Mega Watt solar photovoltaic and battery storage project, which was identified in the Ministry’s 2016 Energy Policy. The project has an overall budget of EC$3,000,000 under the European Development Fund (EDF) 10 programme and includes the following components:
· Client Engineer Consulting;
· Solar Engineering Purchasing & Construction Contractor;
· Electric Vehicle & Charging Station; and
· Institutional Support & Project Management activities.
To date, the Ministry said the ‘Design Consultancy by the client engineer’ and ‘Institutional Support’ elements are complete and the Ministry has been ready for the implementation of the main component of this project, which is the installation of the solar energy system under the solar engineering procurement and construction contractor.
The installation of the solar energy system is a turnkey design, engineering, procurement and construction product, which includes the installation of PV modules, provision of wiring and electrical components through to a PV inverter, interconnections with existing electrical panels, provision of material and spare parts and the training of locals in the operation and maintenance of the system.
It is estimated that this phase of the Solar PV project would be completed by the end of quarter 1 of 2019 (approximately the end of June 2019).
The Ministry explained that the completion of this project is pivotal, as it will contribute 11% of Montserrat’s daily Electricity Peak Demand, but more importantly, it will open up access to further funding for the second phase of the project—the 750KW Solar PV and Battery Storage project under the EDF11 Programme, with an expected multi-million dollar injection. “All of this will begin to fulfill the ministry’s goal of switching energy generation from fossil fuels to renewable energy, improve Montserrat’s energy efficiency and attain a more reliable energy supply,” stated the Ministry.
The Ministry described the approval of funding for the first phase–the 250 (KW) Solar PV Project, as a milestone, given the economic environment of having available very limited funding for capital projects.
The Ministry along with the Montserrat Utilities Limited supported by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), GIZ and the CARICOM Energy Unit, has worked together to advance this project.