The first phase was the commissioning of the 3MW solar farm in Vieux-Fort in April 2018. From that date until December 2018, the farm generated 5 million units of electricity. Its production saved the company EC $1.99 million in fuel cost or the use of 257, 712 gallons of diesel.
In the second phase, battery storage to include the energy produced by the solar farm into the company’s generation portfolio will be installed. These are steps in the company’s Renewable Energy (RE) Plan. Battery storage will also create a micro grid in the south of the island for critical infrastructure as part of the company’s resilience strategy, suppling critical loads if the South was to become isolated after a major disaster event.
In 2018, the company commissioned Canadian consulting power engineering firm HATCH in collaboration with the Rocky Mountain Institute to conduct a study that identified the optimum battery storage size for each stage of the RE Plan. The study also identified the optimum size for the pilot battery project that will firm up (improve reliability of) the solar energy generated from Vieux-Fort as part of the company’s generation mix. The aim is to have that project installed by 2020.
During a presentation to the CARILEC CEO & Leadership Conference, Planning Manager (Acting) Cornelius Edmund spoke to the study and how it fits into the company’s RE plans. The title of his presentation was, “Battery storage as a solution to reducing emissions and total power supply cost and firming intermittent renewable energy systems”.
Mr Edmund’s presentation was made before the lunchtime break on Thursday, May 23.
