Durrant Pate/Contributor

Jamaica’s government is set to issue a call for proposals to procure 220 megawatt (MW) of renewable energy and 110MW of battery storage capacity.

The Generation Procurement Entity (GPE), which is handling the procurement process, has scheduled an event for March 19 to outline the structure, objectives, and anticipated timeline for the request for information phase, which would be followed by a request for proposals.

GPE will also provide an overview of system considerations, including integration of renewable generation and battery storage, grid capacity and operational objectives. The meeting, at 10 am Eastern Standard Time, will be held in person and via Microsoft Teams using meeting ID 249 286 574 040 24 and passcode iN9PH2dD.

The first process for 100MW was made last year, in which Wigton Wind Farm and Sunterra Energy Jamaica were selected to develop solar parks. Wigton will develop a 49.83 MW facility in Clarendon, while SunTerra will develop a 50 MW plant in Trelawny, both aiming to advance Jamaica’s 2030 renewable energy targets. 

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) is providing US$43 million in financing towards the $56 million needed for SunTerra to build Jamaica’s largest solar plant, which was scheduled to be completed by February 2026.

The project is being spearheaded by Mscale through the Caribbean Venture Capital Fund, which had acquired a 10% stake in SunTerra Energy. 

The company will develop a 50-megawatt solar park supported by 80-megawatts of solar panels. Construction will unfold in two phases, with plans to eventually expand the facility to 200 megawatts with battery storage. Once completed, the plant is expected to supply up to 12% of Jamaica’s electricity at a cost of just US$0.05 per kilowatt hour, far below the current average of US$0.30.