Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) has received a proposal from a Bahamian-led consortium to develop a $40-50m biomass power plant in North Andros. This cross-sectoral effort would meet energy and agricultural needs in the region, in a partnership with the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI). BAMSI has plans to clear land to renew local farming efforts by graduates of its program. Providence Energy Partners has met with BAMSI to develop a 10-15 MW plant to supply all BPL’s power needs in North Andros. The project proposal hinges on BPL and government approvals, as it needs to secure a Power Purchase Agreement with BPL before moving forward.
Tennyson Wells, pictured, BAMSI’s chairman, confirmed to this newspaper that Providence Energy Partners had presented its project to the Institute’s Board as both sides explored the potential synergies and mutual benefits that could flow from it. “What they came to us with is they want to take over the power generation from Behring Point to Red Bays in North Andros,” Mr Wells recalled. “BAMSI needs extra farmland, prepared land, and they wanted to use biomass from that land, which is filled with invasive tree species. “I told them I would like to see 5,000 acres prepared so that when students come out of BAMSI they could have long-term leases of the land already prepared. If we did that, BAMSI would support their [Providence Energy Partners] efforts to use the trees” cut down for biomass fuel for the power plant.
