Barbados is now leading the way in battery storage systems regionally, and will be a hub for the rest of the Caribbean. That’s according to Minister of Energy and Business Development Senator Lisa Cummins. She made the disclosure as she led off Debate on the 2025 Appropriation Bill.
[pdf] Barbados Light & Power Company's technical assessments have revealed that the currently approved 15 MW of battery energy storage systems (BESS) possesses the capability to maintain grid stability only up to a maximum of 99.9 MW of total installed distributed photovoltaic (DPV) systems. 12 As of August 1, 2024, the cumulative capacity of DPV systems connected to the grid was nearing this threshold, reaching almost 100 MW. 12 This near-capacity situation has a direct and immediate consequence: no additional renewable energy customers can be connected to the grid until further BESS capacity is brought online. 12 This bottleneck in grid connectivity poses a significant impediment to the continued expansion of renewable energy generation within Barbados, potentially affecting homeowners and businesses eager to adopt cleaner energy solutions. 14
[pdf] The eastern Caribbean island nation is procuring 60 MW of battery energy storage systems in its first such tender. Barbados has initiated its first procurement for battery energy storage systems in a bid to support the growing interest in renewable energy investment on the island.
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