The St. Kitts and Nevis government has commissioned a six-megawatt (MW) rental power plant to stabilize the national grid temporarily while the sole electricity provider undertakes essential infrastructure upgrades. To support this initiative, the government has secured $40 million in concessional funding from the Saudi Fund for Development for the procurement, construction, and operation of an 18MW dual-fuel power plant, which will include a battery energy storage system.
Energy and Public Infrastructure Minister Konris Maynard emphasized the urgency of the situation, noting that the existing generators are on the verge of collapse and that solar farms do not provide 24-hour coverage. “It is imperative to implement a reliable temporary supply for SKELEC (St Kitts Electricity Co. Ltd) to successfully achieve its goals,” he stated.
Maynard also highlighted that this new plant aims to create a more reliable energy future while serving as a bridge toward the Sustainable Island State Agenda. By integrating a clean-burning, flexible generation platform with energy storage technology, the project aims to promote the growth of distributed renewable energy resources, which will be incentivized through the rollout of a feed-in tariff.
Maynard said the rental power plant from global energy solutions provider, Aggreko, over the next 12 months in the first instance, will allow SKELEC to perform critical overhauls on its fixed generator fleet.
The authorities say this includes essential maintenance on the 25-year-old Mirrlees Blackstone MB430 6-megawatt generator, which is the largest single generator in the federation and is operating beyond its intended capacity.
Minister Maynard stated that during the rental power plant’s operation, SKELEC will undertake vital overhauls on most of its fixed generator fleet. Prime Minister Dr. Terrance Drew emphasized the government’s dedication to reducing reliance on fossil fuels through the strategic implementation of renewable energy initiatives.
This energy transition is a fundamental aspect of the government’s Sustainable Island State Agenda, supported by the construction of the dual-fuel power plant and battery energy storage system in St. Kitts, as well as the introduction of renewable energy-powered desalination plants. “Our analysis shows that transitioning St. Kitts and Nevis to renewable energy will fundamentally transform the nation,” Drew remarked.
He highlighted the economic advantages of this shift, pointing out that renewable energy could lower generation costs by at least two-thirds compared to fossil fuels. “This transition will create many new jobs in the green energy sector, and the reduced operational costs will benefit various industries across St. Kitts and Nevis,” he noted.
To enhance the energy transition further, the government is closely collaborating with the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) to advance geothermal exploration on Nevis, aiming to provide cleaner and more affordable energy solutions
Drew said that if the energy transition the government envisions takes place then “St Kitts and Nevis will be in a different stratum of development.”
