A sod turning ceremony today at Brechin Castle signaled the start of construction on Trinidad and Tobago’s first utility scale solar project.
Dr the Honourable Keith Rowley, Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago was joined by the Ministers of Energy and Energy Industries and Public Utilities as well as representatives from bp and Shell. The 112MWac solar project consisting of two sites, Brechin Castle and Orange Grove, is owned by consortium partners bp Alternative Energy Trinidad and Tobago (bpAETT) and Shell Renewables Caribbean (Shell).
The project is expected to produce approximately 300,000MWh of green electricity per year – enough to power the equivalent of 42,500 homes and helping to reduce carbon emissions. Development and construction of the project is being managed by Lightsourcebp, a global leader in the development and management of solar projects. Grupotec Servicios Avanzados S.A. has been selected as the main contractor for the construction of the project at both sites and SDV West Indies Limited has been selected to provide high voltage connections to the T&TEC network.
Today’s announcement comes after the consortium took Final Investment Decision (FID) in December 2022.
Anja-Isabel Dotzenrath, Executive Vice President, Gas & Low Carbon Energy, bp said:
“Today’s sod turning represents a significant milestone, bringing us all one step closer to the goal of producing power from Trinidad and Tobago’s first utility scale solar project. bp is working to provide energy that is secure, lower carbon and affordable – and this project does exactly that. It also reinforces the importance of a collaborative approach to this country’s energy transition goals and together with the other consortium partners, we look forward to being part of delivering this country’s first solar project.”
“This solar project signifies advancement of the energy transition in country and we recognize that collaboration is the key to success”
said Eugene Okpere, Senior Vice President and Country Chair, Shell Trinidad and Tobago Limited.
“At Shell, our involvement aligns seamlessly with our global strategy to promote the energy transition in all of the countries in which we operate, as we strive to find ways to provide more and cleaner energy solutions, while building a strong and sustainable business.”