Barbados
The Government of Barbados has officially launched a major procurement process for the country’s first large-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS), aimed at transforming the national electricity grid and unlocking delayed renewable energy investments. The launch event, hosted by the Ministry of Energy and Business, marked the beginning of a new phase in Barbados’ push toward energy independence.
“This is where interest becomes action and ideas become investment,” declared Minister of Energy and Business, Senator Lisa Cummins, during her keynote address. “The launch of this project is about grid unlock – not just for investors, but for real Barbadians whose hard-earned savings are tied up in solar projects they couldn’t connect until now.”
The BESS procurement process follows a robust planning phase, including an initial Request for Information (RFI), and culminates in the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) on July 9, 2025. Up to 60 megawatts of battery storage will be tendered in what officials described as a competitive, transparent, and technically rigorous process. Projects will be backed by long-term, bankable contracts and supported by a liquidity guarantee facility administered by the Central Bank of Barbados.
Director of Fund Management at the Central Bank, Darrin Downes, underscored the bank’s commitment:
“This initiative reflects our dedication to innovative, climate-smart financial mechanisms. The liquidity support mechanism will provide financial security, reduce investor risk, and ensure long-term viability of the storage projects.”
Global Benchmark for Island States
Barbados’ effort is already being hailed as a model for the region. Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Country Manager for Barbados, Carina Cockburn, emphasized the regional significance:
“By embracing this approach, Barbados continues to set a powerful example for the Caribbean. Energy storage is not just complex – it’s essential. Without it, progress plateaus. With it, we unlock stability and boost renewable integration.”
The IDB has played a key technical and financial advisory role throughout the process. According to Cockburn, the Bank will continue its involvement through both public and private sector financing arms, signaling long-term support.
Consumer Protection & Sectoral Resilience
Fair Trading Commission (FTC) CEO Brian Reece reiterated the regulator’s full support, noting:
“Battery energy storage is a critical piece of the renewable future. It brings price stability, fosters innovation, and shields Barbadians from the volatility of imported fossil fuels. The FTC remains committed to a competitive and transparent procurement framework that ensures consumer protection.”
He cited the current global energy landscape – including rising oil prices due to geopolitical tensions – as a compelling reason to accelerate local renewable deployment.
Technical Details and Access
Ramiro Gomez Barinaga of RELP, the project’s transaction advisor, described the tender as a “turning point” not just for Barbados, but potentially the entire Caribbean:
“This is the first competitive battery storage procurement in Barbados and likely the first in the region. The design is simple, bankable, and structured to attract strong local and international bids.”
Key features include:
- Up to 60 MW / 240 MWh of four-hour lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery storage;
- Fixed monthly capacity payments (no separate payment for ancillary services);
- Mandatory local content plans (capped at 2% of annual revenue);
- Energy Storage License, Storage Agreement, and Interconnection Agreement embedded in the RFP;
- Application window opens July 9, 2025 via Barbados’ Bonfire procurement portal.
A Regional First, A National Mission
Minister Cummins emphasised the human and economic dimension of the initiative:
“Barbadians have already invested hundreds of millions in solar, only to be told ‘there’s no room on the grid.’ This is for them. This is about reducing our billion-dollar fuel import bill and using that money for healthcare, education, and social development.”
She also announced parallel work on wind energy procurement and updated regulations under the Electricity Supply Act, reinforcing the government’s commitment to the energy transition agenda.
Looking Ahead
The BESS procurement marks a critical step toward achieving Barbados’ renewable energy goals with targets originally laid out in the 2019 National Energy Policy. With the current grid unable to absorb more intermittent solar energy, battery storage is the key to unlocking a backlog of projects and enabling 24/7 renewable power.
The RFP documents, including all technical and legal requirements, will be available for download starting July 9, 2025. A bidder conference and public briefings are expected to follow.
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Caribbean
Modernisation of electricity grids and joint investment is a part of the conversation that Caribbean countries should be having to move away from their fossil fuel pasts and into renewable energy futures, according to Barbados Minister of Energy and Business, Lisa Cummins.
Speaking virtually to stakeholders at the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Conference in the Hilton Hotel on Monday, Cummins said the question that should be asked now is whether the various countries’ grids have the ability and capacity to reach the renewable energy targets in the timeframe set. That becomes an issue of security, she noted.
In 2024, Cummins said Barbados spent close to US$1 billion, in fossil fuel imports, and the previous year, the island spent US$924 million in fossil fuel imports, That resulted in foreign exchange drain, but also it was money spent that could be used for other purposes.
“Energy security then becomes how do we take the resources, whether it’s the sun, wind, onshore, offshore, geothermal, and then convert that into energy sources to power our residential homes, commercial plants, and how do we sustainably do that? That becomes a question of energy security as well, transitioning from fossils to renewables.”
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Trinidad and Tobago
Khan made the comment in an exclusive interview with Guardian Media at her Port-of-Spain office yesterday.
“We received complaints, we have received just over 60. We go through a process of screening and assessing what is told to us to move forward. You don’t want the platform to be used as a tool for victimising people,” Khan said.
“Right now we have seven active cases, we have closed 53 of them. We have eight matters that we are investigating that are awaiting information.”
She said while only a fraction of complaints made via the whistleblowing platform are now being investigated, she remained concerned about the country’s procurement practices.
Khan described some of the complaints raised by the redress mechanisms as shocking.
“Reports of corruption, reports of bid rigging come through, reports of taking bribes, persons taking bribes from contractors and suppliers. If you keep getting reports on a particular entity or person, that may cause the OPR to stop and say we need to take a closer look at this,” Khan revealed.
“I became surprised when I learnt of the allegations. Irregularities in procurement proceedings is another one that comes up often. Those we are able to assess and see if there are breaches of the act and then we have the option to audit or go to an investigation. We have taken the route of going to investigations but very soon we will be embarking on the audit programme as well.”
Khan said as public confidence in the OPR develops, she expects more to come forward.
“In the case of government ministries, what you see a lot of is, because the level of understanding is not where it should be and knowledge of the act, I think it is more the supporting agencies. Among all public bodies, what you have is a situation where we have assessed the public bodies, which ones deal with high-risk, high-value procurements, because that is where we need to focus our efforts in terms of scrutinising what they do, right now, we just trying to get people to report and report accurately.”
Khan also flagged government ministries, two of which had failed to provide a history of their contract reporting over the last year. The Ministry of National Security was among the offenders.
“It is concerning, the issue of transparency and accountability, those are objects of the act. The act requires that we present the data so the public can scrutinise how public monies have been spent. It is not for the OPR’s benefit, it is for the Parliament and the public by extension, that is what is concerning.”
However, Khan said she was optimistic of a shift from an over reliance on non-competitive procurement practices, or what is also known as sole source procurement, whereby only one supplier provides a commodity or service.
“We are unlearning the old, I think it will change. A lot of people tell me what the act has in it and the regulations, it is too onerous. I want to say it should never be too onerous to do the right thing.”
The Public Procurement and Disposal of Property Act was fully proclaimed on April 26, 2023. It caused the repeal of the Central Tenders Board Act, which had led to a plethora of issues such as accountability and transparency; long end-to-end timelines, and an extremely complex public procurement process within the government and public bodies.
The current act is aimed at reforming the procurement laws of T&T, in keeping with the principles of good governance, such as accountability, transparency, integrity and value for money.
On Monday, the report on the performance of the independent body under the act was laid in Parliament.
In it, Khan noted that “while the transition to the new regime was never expected to be seamless, the last year has shown that public bodies were not adequately equipped to take the reins of these new regulatory mechanisms.”
Khan explained that the transition to the new regime has seen an unsatisfactory level of compliance by public bodies to the legislation.
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Guyana
More than a month later, the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) is still to be updated by the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) on the progress of the Belle Vue pump station which was controversially awarded to Tepui Inc.
A visit by the Sunday Stabroek to the site yesterday showed that very little work had been done since construction began on the $865m project at the end of January this year.
After the PPC had told the Sunday Stabroek in July this year that it had not been given any updates on the progress of the project, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha met with Lionel Wordsworth, Chairman of the NDIA on the matter. Wordsworth informed the Sunday Stabroek yesterday that the agency is “currently working on” providing the necessary documents to the procurement commission, with further updates expected by tomorrow.
During a site visit to the Belle Vue pump station yesterday, construction work was observed but with only one excavator in operation at the time. A source reported that despite progress the project faces delays due to factors beyond the company’s control, including a shortage of labour amid a construction boom, fuel supply issues and the challenging soft terrain affecting equipment performance. The source cited a recent incident where an excavator became stuck on site and was only removed after a few days due to the softness of the ground.
Mustapha had assured the Sunday Stabroek last month that he would meet with the NDIA team to ensure that all required documents are submitted to the procurement commission. Information to the PPC is important as in an investigation of a complaint by APNU+AFC MP David Patterson, the procurement commission had expressly said that there should be careful monitoring of the project with a view to termination if necessary.
Recommendation VII in the PPC’s report of April 16, 2024 on Patterson’s complaint stated: “VII. The contract for the subject tender having been entered into, it is recommended that the procuring entity strictly monitor the performance of the contract and if the awarded bidder TEPUI is found in breach, that the necessary steps, including termination if considered to be prudent, be taken to ensure that value for money is achieved. In light of NPTAB’s disclosure as to the other three (3) pump stations, to wit, ‘Jimbo, Meten Meer Zorg and (Pouderoyen)’ which were advertised and evaluated at the same time as the subject tender herein, Belle Vue, also `lacked prior experience specifically in pump station construction’ but were deemed to have `had completed a project of a similar nature’ and therefore the `same leniency was applied’, the recommendation herein also applies to those pump stations. The commission pursuant to its constitutional mandate, functions and powers shall exercise oversight in this regard”.
The award of a pump station contract to the unqualified Tepui, whose principal, Mikhail Rodrigues is known to have close connections with Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo and other members of the PPP/C administration sparked a furore and the complaint by Patterson.
Six months
More than six months after the complaint was lodged by Patterson, the procurement commission found major breaches in the evaluation process but said it could do nothing about it as a contract had already been concluded.
The PPC said “…on the entry into a contract, privity of contract issues arise. There is nothing within the statutory framework which permits the commission to revoke, rescind, recall and or in any way alter, suspend or stop the contract once entered”.
The award of the $865m Belle Vue Pump Station to Tepui Inc had raised questions from the outset as its key principal, Rodrigues was not involved in construction.
In its 35-page summary of April 16, 2024, the PPC elicited answers from the NPTAB – whose evaluation committee made the choice of Tepui – and the procuring agency, the NDIA. Not only were both tardy in answering the PPC, they only provided some of the documents requested.
Tepui was required to have had the experience of having completed one project of a similar nature within the past five years. Similar projects “shall include pump stations, sluices and drainage structures”. Having been incorporated less than a year before, Tepui did not have these qualifications, yet the evaluation committee of the NPTAB found its bid to be responsive.
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Caribbean
The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB, the Bank) in partnership with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Commission (OECS) and the World Bank hosted a two-day event for regional businesses to take full advantage of procurement opportunities offered by their projects.
The initiative, called the CDB, OECS, WB Procurement Fair, took place in Saint Lucia on September 4-5. It brought together over 600 suppliers, contractors, and consultants to provide them with useful information and tools to submit successful bids for projects funded by these organisations.
Doug Fraser, the Head of Procurement at CDB, emphasised the importance of the collaboration, “The Bank recognises the crucial role that the private sector plays in providing goods, works and services to the projects we finance to help our clients to achieve their development outcomes… Without suppliers, contractors and consultants none of our projects would be possible. Our engagement here with the private and public sector provides solutions and innovations that are key to driving Caribbean economic development and reducing poverty.”
Government procurement plays a significant role in the Caribbean economy, accounting for a large part of the region’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Improving procurement processes can help make better use of limited resources, stimulate private sector growth, and support the development of stronger, more inclusive economies.
Remarking on the value procurement can add to local economies, Lilia Burunciuc, World Bank Director for the Caribbean said, “In the OECS, the World Bank finances projects totaling US$75M. Each project presents opportunities for local vendors, and we are pleased to build capacity – with the Caribbean Development Bank and the OECS Commission as partners – among the private sector, such that they can increasingly take advantage of these opportunities.”
The event not only provided valuable information to potential contractors but also aimed to ensure that procurement for the CDB’s projects is done efficiently. By familiarising bidders with the requirements and processes of the financing agency, the event helped increase their chances of success. In 2023 alone, the CDB awarded over USD 170 million in contracts for various projects, offering significant opportunities for Caribbean suppliers.
Other speakers at the event included Roselyn Opel, Head of Pooled Procurement Services at the OECS Commission, and Luciano Gutierres Wuerzius, Procurement Specialist at the World Bank, along with project leaders from different sectors such as Energy, Environment, Youth, Health, Education, and Infrastructure.
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