Last week, the island government announced that the call for request for information (RFI) for new battery storage capacity and the publication of the competitive procurement term sheets would be launched on November 8.
"This is an open tendering process. We expect that local and international bidders will come forward,” Cummins said. She underscored the importance of transparency in designing and conducting the procurement exercise and explained that the RFI will would allow for feedback on what still needs to be considered before the final documents are issued.
"We have made a commitment as a Government that we will be going for 150 MW between now and 2026, and so the subsequent tranches of procurement will account for both the distribution side and the transmission side," Senator Cummins said.
Presently, the island has a 5 MW battery storage system installed on the grid at Trents, St. Lucy. Another 15 MW have already been approved by the Fair Trading Commission (FTC), through the Clean Energy Transition Rider. The Barbados Light and Power Company is the owner and operator of these projects.
“We’ve been very successful as an island with solar penetration. In fact, we are at the global forefront with 100 MW on the grid already, and in order to continue that momentum and continue building on past successes, the batteries are needed to unlock that and provide firm capacity,” said Roger Blackman, managing director of the Barbados Light and Power Company.
Over the past months, Senator Cummins stated that RELP, with the full participation of the other team members, completed a full grid characterization study for Barbados. She pointed out that a new grid code had now been completed.
"The Grid Code was submitted in June of this year, and we now have [it] finalised and set to go before the Electricity Panelof the Fair Trading Commission for finalisation. All of that is detailed work that has taken place over the last year," she said.
The introduction of battery energy storage systems (BESS) facilities will greatly enhance the island’s ability to integrate renewable energy into the grid, stabilise power supply, and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
While the exact battery chemistry in use has not been specified, the emphasis on BESS suggests a likely reliance on lithium-ion technology, which is commonly used in such applications worldwide.
This view was expressed by Senior Technical Officer, in the Ministry of Energy and Business, Destine Gay, who is also part of the Project Monitoring and Coordination Team. She made the comments on Wednesday, at the launch event for the BESS Procurement for Barbados, at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre.
“This launch is a milestone. It represents a significant step in Barbados’ journey towards energy independence and sustainability. The event is a testament to our collective commitment to building a more resilient, reliable, and sustainable energy future for our nation,” Ms. Gay told the audience.
In her address, Country Representative of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Carina Cockburn, said the path towards decarbonisation was not an easy one, yet it must be pursued. She noted that battery energy storage systems were a critical component of any country’s energy strategy.
“For Barbados in particular, it is the key to unlocking further penetration of renewables into the grid and achieving carbon neutrality in the power sector. By storing excess energy generated from renewable sources like solar and wind, storage systems can ensure a stable and continuous power supply, even when the sun isn’t shining, or the wind isn’t blowing,” Ms. Cockburn stated.
The IDB representative suggested that the initiation of the competitive procurement process by the Government was a milestone. She noted that auctions were among the most effective methods to help the country achieve its energy goals.
She listed the benefits as including cost efficiency, as these kinds of processes drive down costs by fostering competition among bidders. “Transparency and fairness as the auction process provides a level playing field for all participants, making information about the process visible to stakeholders and ensuring that the best solutions are selected based on merit.
“Auctions allow for scalability and flexibility in procurement. Barbados has tailored the auction parameters to meet the system specific needs, aiming at future scaling up of additional capacity over time. So, this approach is the one most likely to achieve a positive outcome for the country,” Ms. Cockburn indicated.
Director of Country Delivery at RELP, Ramiro Gomez Barinaga, noted that the shift towards a cleaner and more sustainable energy supports energy sovereignty, and reduces dependency on global oil market shocks on the local economy.
“Also, shifting to more renewables will protect Barbados’ natural resources, by reducing the risks of oil spills that could devastate the tourism industry, one of the main sources of foreign exchange earnings on the island,” Mr. Barinaga emphasised.
Vice President of the Barbados Renewable Energy Association, Meshia Clarke, said the launch represents an opportunity to build local capacity among sector professionals to support the deployment of battery energy storage systems for large scale projects.
Ms. Clarke added: “We ask that this procurement continue to move forward with urgency. By urgency we do not mean that it should be rushed, but that it should be undertaken efficiently and in accordance with clear timelines and a sense of shared responsibility for timely outcomes….”
She welcomed the Request For Information phase of the procurement process, saying that it would provide for an invaluable opportunity for interventions to be considered and fully integrated into the final publishing of the BESS.
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