Belize and US Virgin Islands progress large-scale BESS projects

LinkedIn
Twitter
Reddit
Facebook
Email

A double-header of news from Central America and the Caribbean, with Belize seeking consultants for a 40MW storage project and Wärtsilä commissioning a hybrid project in the US Virgin Islands.

Belize ministry procuring services for BESS procurement

The Central American country of Belize is seeking services related to the procurement of a 40MW battery energy storage system (BESS) project.

The Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment is seeking expressions of interest (EOI) from consultants and experts to assist it with the Belize Renewable Integration and Resilient Energy System Project, using World Bank funding.

Interested consultants have until 2pm local time on 8 August—this coming Thursday—to provide information demonstrating their suitability to provide goods, consulting and non-consulting services for the project.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Enjoy 12 months of exclusive analysis

Not ready to commit yet?
  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Annual digital subscription to the PV Tech Power journal
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

Contact details for the EOI process can be found here.

The Belize Renewable Integration and Resilient Energy System Project is aimed at improving the resilience of the electricity system against extreme climates by strengthening the national transmission infrastructure.

It will fund the acquisition and deployment of BESS to enable the integration of renewable energy onto the grid, and improve resiliency and reliability of electrical supply. A total of US$65 million will be invested in the project, according to the World Bank.

The project’s primary implementing agency is Belize Electricity Limited, the country’s main utility and network operator.

It comes shortly after nearby Honduras progressed the reform of its electricity market to enable the deployment of energy storage at scale on its grid.

Wärtsilä completes generators-plus-BESS on US Virgin Islands

In concurrent news, the publicly-owned utility for the US Virgin Islands has announced the completion of a new BESS alongside upgrades to an existing gas power plant, the Randolph Harley Power Plant (RHPP).

The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority (WAPA) announced the completion last month (24 July) after which it began final commissioning of the generators and BESS equipment.

As Energy-Storage.news reported when the project neared completion last year, system integrator Wärtsilä provided a hybrid solution combining four 9MW fossil fuel engines together with a 9MW, 2-hour duration (18MWh) BESS unit. The company got the contract for the job in 2020, which was delayed due to Covid-19.

The fossil fuel engines totalling 32MW of power run on liquid petroleum gas (LPG) and light fuel oil (LFO).

Finland-headquartered Wärtsilä is active in supplying island power solutions, also providing a 25MW/25MWh BESS on another Carribean island, Curaçao.

Earlier this year, the Comisión Nacional De Energia of the Dominican Republic started construction on a 99MWh BESS in the country.

14 October 2025
InterContinental, Santiago, Chile
We are excited to bring the industry together for the fourth edition of the Energy Storage Summit Latin America on 14-15 October in Santiago, Chile. The Summit has become a meeting place for IPPs and developers, investors, financiers and banks, utilities, consultancies, software providers, and manufacturers who are setting high standards in the Latin American energy storage sector.

Read Next

August 25, 2025
Independent power producer (IPP) Fullmark Energy has announced the commercial operation of its 20MW/40MWh Ortega energy storage project in Lake Elsinore, California, US.
August 21, 2025
ACE Power has confirmed the sale of the 103MW/206MWh Kerang grid-forming BESS in the Loddon Valley region of Victoria, Australia.
Premium
August 21, 2025
“It’s the most powerful BESS in the world,” Nick Carter of Akaysha Energy, tells ESN Premium after switching on the Waratah Super Battery in New South Wales, Australia.
August 20, 2025
Now is the moment for long-duration energy storage to become a key pillar of the energy transition, writes LDES Council CEO Julia Souder.
August 19, 2025
AGL Energy has deployed approximately AU$900 million toward BESS and renewables in Australia during the fiscal year ending June 2025.

Most Popular

Email Newsletter