Deal in place for 9.5 MW of solar farms in Grand Bahama

An independent power producer (IPP) and a group of stakeholders in Grand Bahama have signed a contract to officially kick start the construction of 9.5 MW of grid-connected solar farms on the Bahamas island.

Lucayas Solar Power Ltd, joined by the Grand Bahama Port Authority (GBPA), the Grand Bahama Power Company (GBPC) and the Inter-American Development Bank, agreed to promote the USD-15-million (EUR 13.9m) utility-scale solar project on two locations in Freeport.

Construction of a 4.5-MW solar farm in Devon and a 5-MW plant in Fairfield will begin this month, GBPA said in a press release on Thursday.

GBPC will off-take electricity from the solar farms under a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA). The average rate is locked-in at USD 0.09 per kWh for the duration of the PPA, according to the press release.

Lucayas Solar Power CEO Jorge Marquez said his company would use top-quality equipment and materials developed for extreme weather conditions, having learned lessons from Hurricane Dorian and other storms. Solar panels at Devon and Fairfield sites will be 67% more resistant to the force of winds than standard panels, according to Marquez.

The partners expect the project to be finalised by the first quarter of 2024.

(USD 1.0 = EUR 0.929)

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!