Bahamas-based renewable energy company Compass Power has signed a contract with FortisTCI on an $8 million project for solar plus battery microgrids, that will be the first for the Turks and Caicos, according to a press statement on the deal.
The statement said the microgrids will power 30 percent of the electricity supply on North and Middle Caicos and 91 percent of the electricity supply on Salt Cay by 2024.
It added that microgrids will be the Turks and Caicos' largest green energy investment to date.
"The Bahamas-based renewable energy company (Compass Power) will install the solar components of the project and emerged as the winning bidder following a tender process that included local and regional companies," the statement said.
"Hitachi will provide the battery storage service.
"Construction on the twin islands will commence this year, and the system will come on stream in 2024. The solar plus battery microgrid on Salt Cay will also be operational in 2024."
The statement explained that both microgrids will be connected to the islands' primary grid and will be able to disconnect and operate independently.
The statement said an independent study on microgrids determined that North and Middle Caicos and Salt Cay would be good candidates for the solar project, based on "factors such as cost, each island's electricity system, including generation resources; customer electricity use trends, fuel usage, and the amount of land available".
"The solar plus battery microgrids are among several strategic investments that FortisTCI is making to meet growing energy demand and accelerate the transition to renewable energy, reducing carbon emissions and lowering energy costs over time," the statement said.
"These investments are aligned with the company's integrated resource plan (IRP), which supports an optimal energy mix that includes diesel, with at least 33 percent renewable energy integrated by 2040.
"FortisTCI has conducted various studies to help determine the best energy mix for the country. These include gas-to-power research, which explored how the company can integrate liquefied natural gas (LNG) into the energy mix. A study to determine the feasibility of wind as an energy source is currently underway on North Caicos."
FortisTCI President Ruth Forbes said in the statement that the microgrids will go a long way in decreasing the cost of producing energy on the islands.
"Reducing our dependence on imported diesel fuel, expanding renewable energy integration, and lowering the cost of electricity over time are all part of the sustainable energy future we are building for the Turks and Caicos Islands," said Forbes.
According to the statement, FortisTCI has been expanding its utility-owned renewable energy (UORE) program since 2015.
"The company has 2.6MW of solar PV on the grid through 18 systems," the statement said. "These installations have produced over 4.8 GWh of green energy, avoiding 3.75k tons of CO2 emissions."
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