Brazil investment mission to Saint Lucia and OECS

November 15, 2016

A large group of Brazilian investors and parliamentarians arrived in Saint Lucia on November 11th for a Mission to explore direct and joint investment opportunities in over 11 areas. The Mission, titled “Um Porto de Opportunidades” (A Port of Opportunities), is a cooperative effort between the Brazilian Embassy, Saint Lucia Government, Invest Saint Lucia (ISL) […]

27% renewables for Dominican Republic?

November 14, 2016

National Energy Commission (CNE) director Juan Rodriguez Nina sees renewable energy growth in the Dominican Republic to leap to more than a quarter of the national energy matrix in 2018. Adding to the two large scale plants inaugurated this year – 30MW San Pedro Bioenergy Plant and 50MW Larimar Wind Farm – Rodriguez Nina anticipates another 50MW […]

EU pledges over €70 million to Latin America and the Caribbean

November 13, 2016

The European Union has pledged over €70 to “improve the conditions of people within the Community of Latin America and Caribbean States (CELAC).” The funding is part of a €74 million sustainable development program in accordance with the “Transforming Our World: the 2030 agenda for Sustainable Development”; it intends to support a transition towards sustainable […]

El Salvador, Bolivia: Countries Agree to Cooperate in Installation of a 5 MW Geothermal Pilot Plant

November 13, 2016

El Salvador and Bolivia are looking forward to “an opportunity for integration [and] greater income” via a partnership that will allow short-term energy integration between the two countries. State-owned Bolivian oil company, YBFB, will become a supplier, marketer and distributor of LPG to El Salvador, while the latter country with Salvadoran company LaGeo will provide […]

Paris Agreement goes into effect as COP22 begins today

November 7, 2016

The Paris Agreement is ratified and now as member countries meet in Marrakech, Morocco for COP22 this week, they will tackle implementation. The Paris Agreement aims to keep global temperature rise to well below 2 degrees celsius above pre-industrial levels. The CARICOM Secretariat will join several CARICOM member states at these meetings. Areas of focus […]

Jamaica opens Wigton renewable energy training lab

November 7, 2016

The Wigton Renewable Energy Training Lab – opened last week in Jamaica – will provide courses on solar thermal, small hydro, energy conservation, fuel cells and bio-energy. Wigton WindFarm Limited opened the training lab at its resource center in Rose Hill, Manchester, aimed at energy professionals, entrepreneurs, students, and the general public. Opportunities for training […]

Solar Water-Heater Market Hot For Exploitation

November 6, 2016

Confidence is growing for the solar water-heating market among authorities and researchers in the Caribbean region. According to Dr. Xavier Lemaire, senior research associate at the University College London (UCL) Energy Institute, the opportunities inherent to the region are based on high levels of insolation and urbanization and will require authorities to establish a proper […]

IRENA helps Central America integrate renewables

November 6, 2016

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has stepped in to help Central America meet its 2020 target for renewable energy. The “concrete results” expected include an 11% renewables generation target for the region; this will be facilitated by programs like the Renewables Readiness Assessment for Panama and the Clean Energy Corridor of Central America. Energy […]

SolarPack sees Chile’s low renewable energy prices here to stay

November 6, 2016

Concerns over falling prices in the renewables market were quelled by Spanish solar provider SolarPack, who expressed that they have “very few doubts” in the long-term sustainability of renewables. Questions have arisen from analysts and attendees at the CIREC conference in Santiago last week, asking about the availability of financing for projects such as Granja […]