Jamaica’s solar PPA breaks records at 8.5 cents/kWh: who’s the big winner?

June 13, 2016

The recent PPA awarded at 8.54 US cents/kWh for a 33.1 MW PV project now ranks solar energy as the cheapest source of electricity in Jamaica. Eight Rivers Energy Company Limited (EREC) won the bid, beating out 18 competing projects. “Yes, it is lean – there’s not a lot of fat – but I think […]

Chinese banks consider financing 300-MW PV project in Argentina

June 13, 2016

Argentina’s provincial government announced that two Chinese banks, the Chinese Export-Import Bank and the Commercial Bank of China, are interested in funding a 300 MW solar project. A delegation from Argentina travelled to Beijing to present the PV project and received “favorable financial conditions on interest.”

Developer of Nevis geothermal project seeking funding from OPIC

June 13, 2016

Nevis Renewable Energy International has approached the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) to finance a geothermal project. The project has had a couple challenges that will raise questions for the powerful fossil fuel group, including one well site where significant steam levels did not produce the energy projected by administrators. The government of Nevis has deferred […]

US approves commercial flight service to Cuba

June 10, 2016

This week the US approved commercial flights to nine sites on Cuba – a major breakthrough for the island’s tourism and commerce sectors. Six carriers will operate from locations in the US;  American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, Jetblu Airways, Silver Airways, Southwest Airlines and Sun Country Airlines. Between these carriers, requests for nearly 60 flights for […]

Belize most vulnerable in Central America to sea level rise

June 9, 2016

Among small-island developing states in the Caribbean, Belize is the most likely to be impacted by climate change. The Development Finance Corporation (DFC) is promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency financing to Belize’s private sector, with an offer of up to $200K per project for upgrades and installation. But Dr. Kenrick Leslie, Executive Director of […]

British biomass JV targets renewable energy in Cuba

June 9, 2016

A British firm is seeking to generate renewable energy from the byproducts of Cuban sugarcane production. Esencia, a UK-based holding company for Havana Energy, is working to construct the first of five biomass plants on the island.  Robert Miller, director of Britain’s Cuban Solidarity Campaign (CSC) said,  “We hope that this long worked-for venture will help […]

Dominica: geothermal projects should not be on back-burner

June 8, 2016

UK Parlimentary Under Secretary of State for International Development, Baroness Sandip Verma, paid an official visit to Dominica this week. She expressed the UK government’s interest in long term economic development in a statement:   “You obviously have a vision for your country,” she said to the Hon. Prime Minister Skerrit. “We also have a vision […]

French development agency to back 100-MW solar project in El Salvador

June 7, 2016

Proparco, a unity of the French Development Agency, will fund a 100 MW solar project in El Salvador. The USD 30 million (EUR 26.4m) will displace an average of 163K MWh of thermal power generation a year via the Providencia Solar power plant, located near the Monsenor Oscar Arnulfo Romero International Airport outside San Salvador. The […]

Mexico: EU Funded GEMex project to Develop Geothermal Energy

June 5, 2016

  Starting in the autumn of 2016, an EU-funded geothermal project will seek to make geothermal energy cost-effective and affordable both for electricity and heat production. GEMex is an international project that was selected in a joint call launched by the European Union and Mexico. The EU and Mexico will contribute equally to the €20 million […]