France's HDF sells stake in solar-hydrogen-battery project in Barbados

French fuels distributor Rubis SCA (EPA:RUI) is acquiring a 51% stake in a solar-plus-green hydrogen and battery project developed by hydrogen energy specialist Hydrogene de France SA (EPA:HDF) in Barbados.

Touted by its developer as the largest hydrogen power project in the Caribbean, the proposed Renewstable Barbados (RSB) complex is set to combine 50 MW of solar PV generation and 128 MWh of green hydrogen and battery storage. HDF said that it is holding talks with the Barbados Sustainable Energy Co-operative Society to offer it a 30% stake in the project prior to construction.

The USD-100-million-plus (EUR 88.2m) complex will be located in St Philip, in the eastern part of Barbados. The solar farm portion will also work as an agrivoltaic facility as it will accommodate sheep farming, HDF said.

According to the French developer, its RSB plant will produce enough power for some 16,000 Barbadians and help the island nation replace some of its aging and costly energy assets that are currently running on fossil fuels.

The Barbados project will follow the same recipe that HDF used to design its first Renewstable power plant in French Guiana, which will also provide electricity via a solar farm and storage in hydrogen and batteries once the ongoing construction wraps up. Rubis is also an equity investor in the Guiana project alongside HDF and infrastructure fund Meridiam.

Rubis holds an 18.5% stake in HDF and is the company’s second largest shareholder.

(USD 1.0 = EUR 0.882)

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