BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Thursday July 23, 2015 – The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has approved a US$2.34 million loan to finance the installation and commissioning of a 1 Megawatt Solar Pholtovoltaic Plant which will enable the Anguilla Electricity Company Limited (ANGLEC) to introduce renewable energy into the mix for electricity production.
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The project in Corito, in the south of the island, will also allow the utility company to examine and assess the response of its power system to the incorporation of an intermittent renewable energy source.

“The installation of the Solar Photovoltaic Plant will help reduce the nation’s reliance on imported petroleum fuel for its energy requirements,” said CDB’s Acting Director of Projects Andrew Dupigny.

To ensure sustainability of the project, the contractor’s scope of works includes training for ANGLEC’s staff to help them develop the skills required to maintain and operate the solar PV plant.

The power plant will be designed, operated and maintained to guarantee at least 20 years of operation, within the design parameters.

This loan is the CDB’s sixth intervention in the energy sector in Anguilla and supports the government’s goal of transforming the country into a carbon-neutral economy.

Anguilla’s 2008 National Energy Policy presents a vision for the country’s future as one of energy independence, with the island meeting its energy needs from reliable, affordable and renewable energy resources.

The government has set a national target of producing 30 per cent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 and cutting greenhouse gas emissions.