Photo: Chief Executive Officer of Leclanché, Mr. Anil Srivastava
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, December 10, 2020 (Press Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister) – The Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis took a huge leap towards a greener and a more energy-efficient future with the groundbreaking of the Basseterre Solar & Storage Project that will result in the buildout of a 35.7-megawatt solar farm and battery storage facility.
The symbolic groundbreaking ceremony on the $70-million project was held at Needsmust on Thursday, December 10, 2020.
The microgrid project is being built by Leclanché SA, a Switzerland-based energy storage company with over one hundred years of experience.
Chief Executive Officer of Leclanché, Mr. Anil Srivastava, delivered remarks virtually at Thursday’s ceremony. He stated that the project consists of a fully integrated 35.7-megawatt solar field and a 14.8 MW / 45.7 MWh lithium-ion battery energy storage system.
“Upon completion, more than 35 percent of electricity in St. Kitts will come from this green power plant. For the people of St. Kitts and Nevis what does this really mean? It means that we will power your homes in the night with solar energy; your air conditioners, your tourist resorts, your hotels and your businesses,” Mr. Srivastava said.
The Basseterre Solar & Storage Project will be the largest solar generation and energy storage system in the Caribbean, and one that will make St. Kitts and Nevis a model for other countries in the area of clean and renewable energy development.
Mr. Srivastava added, “You’re setting out a benchmark/an example for not only the Caribbean to follow but the rest of the world. Because we will use less of the dirty diesel fuel, we are going to set a benchmark for the Caribbean and the rest of the world to see how to transition from today’s dirty way of generating power to a clean and green energy future.”
It is expected that the system, once completed, will generate approximately 61,300 MWh of electricity with a 41,500 metric ton reduction of CO2 emissions.
The solar farm and battery energy storage facility will be built in the Basseterre Valley on a 102-acre plot of government-owned land in the area of the St. Kitts Electricity Company’s power station.