Barbados is a step closer to launching its first procurement project for Battery Energy Storage Systems to support the grid and unlock stalled Solar PV connections.
The Ministry of Energy and Business is currently hosting a three-day Procurement Design Workshop with key stakeholders to discuss and make critical decisions with regard to procuring Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).
Barbados has reached the maximum capacity of the electric grid and the Barbados Light and Power Company has been advising that it is unable to connect homeowners and residential PV systems to the grid without the addition of storage.
The workshop is the culmination of the outputs of a consortium of experts in storage systems, who began supporting Barbados at the beginning of 2024 to address the gridlock challenge and advance the renewable energy transition.
In brief opening remarks at the Warrens Office Complex, on Friday, Minister of Energy and Business, Senator Lisa Cummins, said: “This has been an absolutely urgent priority for our Government, and the partners have spent a lot of time collaborating with my amazing team because they understand how critical this is….
“The discussions over the next few days will take us into closure on the process where we can get battery energy storage systems into the country. In many ways this is a watershed moment that many have been waiting for.”
Senator Cummins noted that the partners, including RELP, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, the Inter-American Development Bank, Deloitte, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the International Finance Corporation, had completed what she described as “incredible work”, including a grid characterisation study, which was presented earlier in the week.
“What they have shared with us and will share with the market over the coming days in market sounding sessions will take us a far way towards completing the design for a cost effective and price competitive battery energy storage system for Barbados. We hope to launch the first BESS procurement shortly, based on the timelines that we have seen coming into the development plan.”
Senator Cummins went on to point out that not only had there been close collaboration among partners, but all the local agencies had been actively involved, including the Fair Trading Commission, as well as officials from the Central Bank, Government Procurement, GEED, the Bankers’ Association and relevant associations.
The meeting continues on July 29 and 30, and will culminate in a market sounding session with local industry stakeholders. Once this project is completed, Barbadians awaiting connections to the grid can be connected and new projects can begin to move forward.