KINGSTON, Jamaica--Jamaica’s first utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant, Content Solar Ltd, is celebrating its two-year anniversary of commercial operation in Content Village, Clarendon, Jamaica.
The 28.5-megawatt peak (MWp) Content Solar plant, developed by WRB Energy and owned by WRB Serra, is one of the largest solar projects of its kind in the Caribbean, delivering reliable renewable energy to help reduce Jamaica’s dependence on imported fuel for electricity generation.
The plant performs consistently and reliably with 99.8 per cent availability, producing more than 44 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of clean electricity annually as planned. According to Robert Blenker, president and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Florida-based WRB Energy, the renewable energy development arm of WRB Enterprises, the energy from the Content Solar plant will power more than 20,000 households each year over the next 18 years under the power purchase agreement (PPA) with Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS).
Annually, the solar plant displaces three million gallons of imported fuel and offsets 34,000 tons of carbon dioxide.
The project is part of Jamaica’s goal of 30 per cent renewable energy production by 2030 and long-term vision for greater energy independence and economic development.
“Content Solar is delivering on its promise to increase renewable energy production cost-effectively and help stabilise electricity costs for sustainable growth and environmental well-being in the communities we serve,” Blenker said.
Built to withstand the severe storms and hurricanes that threaten the Caribbean, the US $63 million Content Solar site covers 160 acres with more than 91,200 solar panels installed. Due to prudent resiliency planning and sound design, the site remains unaffected by the region’s recent tropical storms and flooding over the last two years.
The construction of the Content Solar plant was one of three projects awarded as part of Jamaica’s Office of Utilities Regulations (OUR) 115-megawatt (MW) tender for renewable energy generation. The project was completed on budget and within the timeframes set by the OUR and the JPS PPA.
The solar project employed more than 480 Jamaicans during construction and contributed significantly in wage labour, products and services to the local economy.
With a successful track record spanning decades of developing renewable energy projects in the Caribbean and Latin America, WRB Energy welcomed the experience of working in Jamaica because of the nation’s legal and regulatory stability, economic and fiscal policies, and the ability to partner collaboratively with JPS.
Financing for the US $63 million Content Solar project was provided by a $47 million debt agreement with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC). Sponsor equity was provided by WRB Serra, a strategic partner of WRB Enterprises, and WRB Energy focused on sustainable infrastructure investments in the Caribbean and Latin America. ~ Caribbean News Now! ~
