Barbados
The Barbados Ministry of Energy and Business is currently hosting a three-day Procurement Design Workshop with key stakeholders including RELP – Renewables for All, the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, the Inter-American Development Bank, Deloitte, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the International Finance Corporation. The workshop being held at the Warrens Office Complex represents the final stage of the collaborative efforts by a consortium of storage systems experts. These experts have been assisting Barbados since early 2024 to tackle the gridlock issue and promote the transition to renewable energy.
One of the main outcomes is the announcement that Barbados will soon launch procurement process to acquire Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) which are vitally needed to support the grid and allow the many stalled solar photo voltaic (PV) systems to proceed. The electric grid is currently at capacity with Barbados Light and Power unable to connect new PV systems to the grid without additional storage.
Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Senator Lisa Cummins, Minister of Energy and Business said: “This has been an absolutely urgent priority for our Government, and the partners have spent a lot of time collaborating with my amazing team because they understand how critical this is….
“The discussions over the next few days will take us into closure on the process where we can get battery energy storage systems into the country. In many ways this is a watershed moment that many have been waiting for.”
Since the beginning of this year, a consortium of experts has been supporting Barbados in its advancement with renewable energy, and the resulting pressures and demands on the electrical grid. Minister Cummins praised the work being done by the various partners which has included a grid characterisation study, with the findings presented last week:
“What they have shared with us and will share with the market over the coming days in market sounding sessions will take us a far way towards completing the design for a cost effective and price competitive battery energy storage system for Barbados. We hope to launch the first BESS procurement shortly, based on the timelines that we have seen coming into the development plan.”
She noted that local agencies have also played an active role, including the Fair Trading Commission, the Barbados Central Bank, Government Procurement, GEED, the Bankers’ Association and other relevant associations.
The workshop and meetings will conclude on 30th July with local industry stakeholders invited to a market sounding session. Once the procurement of the BESS systems is concluded, new residential and commercial PV projects will once again be able to connect to the grid.
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Barbados
Barbados is a step closer to launching its first procurement project for Battery Energy Storage Systems to support the grid and unlock stalled Solar PhotoVoltaic (PV) connections that will allow solar energy to be fed into the national electrical grid.
The Ministry of Energy and Business is currently hosting a three-day Procurement Design Workshop with key stakeholders to discuss and make critical decisions with regard to procuring Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).
What is a BESS?
Energy can be stored in batteries for when it is needed later.
The battery energy storage system (BESS) is an advanced technological solution that allows energy storage in multiple ways for later use. Given the possibility that an energy supply can experience fluctuations due to weather, blackouts, or perhaps in times of warfare, battery systems are vital for utilities, businesses and homes to achieve a continual power flow.
Barbados has reached the maximum capacity of the electric grid and the Barbados Light and Power Company has been advising that it is unable to connect homeowners and residential PV systems to the grid without the addition of storage.
The workshop is the culmination of the outputs of a consortium of experts in storage systems, who began supporting Barbados at the beginning of 2024 to address the gridlock challenge and advance the renewable energy transition.
In brief opening remarks at the Warrens Office Complex, on Friday, Minister of Energy and Business, Senator Lisa Cummins, said: “This has been an absolutely urgent priority for our Government, and the partners have spent a lot of time collaborating with my amazing team because they understand how critical this is….
“The discussions over the next few days will take us into closure on the process where we can get battery energy storage systems into the country. In many ways this is a watershed moment that many have been waiting for.”
Senator Cummins noted that the partners, including RELP, Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, the Inter-American Development Bank, Deloitte, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the International Finance Corporation, had completed what she described as “incredible work”, including a grid characterisation study, which was presented earlier in the week.
“What they have shared with us and will share with the market over the coming days in market sounding sessions will take us a far way towards completing the design for a cost effective and price competitive battery energy storage system for Barbados. We hope to launch the first BESS procurement shortly, based on the timelines that we have seen coming into the development plan.”
Senator Cummins went on to point out that not only had there been close collaboration among partners, but all the local agencies had been actively involved, including the Fair Trading Commission, as well as officials from the Central Bank, Government Procurement, GEED, the Bankers’ Association and relevant associations.
The meeting continues on July 29 and 30, and will culminate in a market sounding session with local industry stakeholders. Once this project is completed, Barbadians awaiting connections to the grid can be connected and new projects can begin to move forward.
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Jamaica
The Ministry of Industry, Investment and Commerce (MIIC), through the Jamaica Business Development Corporation (JBDC), successfully concluded a four-part island wide Public Procurement Readiness Project Workshop series, aimed at building the capacity of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) to successfully bid for public sector contracts.
The workshops facilitated by the Office of Public Procurement Policy (OPPP) within the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service (MoFPS) saw, in total, a turnout of 130 MSMEs.
The first workshop held in Kingston on March 27-28, 2023, had 43 MSMEs in attendance; the second in Mandeville, Manchester on May 28-29, 2024, with 20; the third workshop in St James on June 11-12, 2024, with 19; and the final workshop, held at the JBDC Incubator and Resource Centre in Kingston on July 11-12, 2024, had 48 MSMEs joining the initiative.
“As Jamaica’s Business Ministry, the Ministry for MSMEs, it was important for us [MIIC] to drive this initiative and empower our MSMEs with the knowledge and tools needed to thrive in a competitive marketplace,” stated Karen Hylton, Small Business Financing Specialist at MIIC, in her opening statement at the final workshop.
“This workshop not only serves to train MSMEs in how to prepare bid documents but also to break down the Set-Aside Orders and the fundamentals of the public procurement process – what the intricacies are, what it means to MSMEs, the benefits and opportunities available and what the requirements would be to meet the eligibility criteria.”
Chantol Dormer, Manager, Project Management and Research at JBDC echoed similar sentiments by adding that “Our goal was to ensure that not only MSMEs in our clientele but also MSMEs in the general populous have the opportunity to access the information that this training provides.”
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Belize and United States Virgin Islands
The Central American country of Belize is seeking services related to the procurement of a 40MW battery energy storage system (BESS) project.
The Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment is seeking expressions of interest (EOI) from consultants and experts to assist it with the Belize Renewable Integration and Resilient Energy System Project, using World Bank funding.
Interested consultants have until 2pm local time on 8 August—this coming Thursday—to provide information demonstrating their suitability to provide goods, consulting and non-consulting services for the project.
Contact details for the EOI process can be found here.
The Belize Renewable Integration and Resilient Energy System Project is aimed at improving the resilience of the electricity system against extreme climates by strengthening the national transmission infrastructure.
It will fund the acquisition and deployment of BESS to enable the integration of renewable energy onto the grid, and improve resiliency and reliability of electrical supply. A total of US$65 million will be invested in the project, according to the World Bank.
The project’s primary implementing agency is Belize Electricity Limited, the country’s main utility and network operator.
It comes shortly after nearby Honduras progressed the reform of its electricity market to enable the deployment of energy storage at scale on its grid.
In concurrent news, the publicly-owned utility for the US Virgin Islands has announced the completion of a new BESS alongside upgrades to an existing gas power plant, the Randolph Harley Power Plant (RHPP).
The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (WAPA) announced the completion last month (24 July) after which it began final commissioning of the generators and BESS equipment.
As Energy-Storage.news reported when the project neared completion last year, system integrator Wärtsilä provided a hybrid solution combining four 9MW fossil fuel engines together with a 9MW, 2-hour duration (18MWh) BESS unit. The company got the contract for the job in 2020, which was delayed due to Covid-19.
The fossil fuel engines totalling 32MW of power run on liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and light fuel oil (LFO).
Finland-headquartered Wärtsilä is active in supplying island power solutions, also providing a 25MW/25MWh BESS on another Carribean island, Curaçao.
Earlier this year, the Comisión Nacional De Energia of the Dominican Republic started construction on a 99MWh BESS in the country.
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Dominica
In a groundbreaking initiative for the region, the Ministry of Health, Wellness and Social Services in Dominica, in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), is launching a five-day program aimed at educating health professionals about their vital role in achieving universal health coverage and access to healthcare. This mission also focuses on ensuring that pharmaceutical products and services are accessible through a strong pharmaceutical supply chain system.
Access to medications is a fundamental aspect of any pharmaceutical policy and a key priority in public health. To guarantee the availability of essential medicines and health technologies, including vaccines and biologics, a well-organized system must be developed. This system will encompass the selection, financing, demand forecasting, procurement, storage, distribution, and rational use of pharmaceuticals, tailored to meet the population’s needs.
Leading this mission will be Pablo Alcocer Vera, Regional Advisor for Supply Systems at PAHO/WHO; Dr. Vishwanath Andy Partapsingh, Health Systems and Services Advisor at the PAHO/WHO Office for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean; Gabriel Cunha, an International Consultant specializing in Supply Chain Management Regional Revolving Funds (RRF); Hon. Kent Edwards, Parliamentary Secretary in the Ministry of Health and a pharmacist with over 26 years of experience; PAHO Country Program Specialist Dr. Nicole Slack-Liburd; and Supplies Manager Ms. Aliyah James-Shillingford, along with other senior officials from the Ministry.
At the mission’s opening ceremony, Hon. Dr. Cassandra Williams, Minister of State in the Ministry of Health, reaffirmed the Dominica government’s dedication to ensuring that all citizens have access to pharmaceuticals. She stated, “In an effort to ensure the optimal health and wellness of the population of Dominica, this government is committed to ensuring that there is a robust Supply Chain Management System that guarantees adequate procurement, distribution, and financing of pharmaceuticals are maintained.”
Dr. Williams highlighted that the government has allocated $81.9 million for recurrent health expenditures and $7.5 million for capital projects in the 2024-2025 budget. She emphasized that enhancing the system for managing the procurement and distribution of medical supplies is a key strategy for improving patient outcomes.
“As we work to further strengthen our commitment of Partnering to build the platform for sustainable growth and development, which was the theme of this year’s budget presentation, we are pleased to continue our longstanding partnership with PAHO in this week’s initiative, which has been preceded by several fact-finding and planning sessions commencing in February 2024. This week’s agenda includes the implementation of self-assessment tools, focus groups and site visits to hospitals and health centres, which will examine several aspects of SCM such as financing, procurement, information systems and legislative frameworks,” she stated.
Over the years, universal access to essential medicines has increasingly been recognized as a fundamental human right. Thus, enhancing the management of the pharmaceutical supply chain in Dominica to ensure access to safe, high-quality essential medicines and health technologies aligns with the right to health.
Throughout the mission, there will be discussions with stakeholders involved in health policy and financing, as well as meetings with procurement staff and the Information Technology Department responsible for the Logistics Management Information System (LMIS) and other health technologies. Site visits will take place at the Dominica China Friendship Hospital, including the Central Medical Stores, National Laboratory, Pharmacy, Marigot Hospital, district health centers, and the Roseau Seaport.
At the conclusion of the mission, PAHO delegates will present an overview of an effective and integrated supply chain management system for medicines and health technologies. This will cover governance, regulatory frameworks, financial aspects, quality assurance, essential medicines selection, demand estimation, procurement, inventory management, distribution, and rational use. They will also identify areas for technical cooperation to enhance the supply chain management system in accordance with WHO GSDP/MQAS standards and introduce the PAHO Revolving Funds as a mechanism for pooled procurement.
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