Belize Bets on Solar for Energy Independence by 2030

Belize is pushing toward energy independence, and the future is solar. Today, most of our electricity still comes from Mexico, but the Briceño administration hopes to change that by 2030. With major projects underway, including World Bank and Saudi-backed investments, the country is set to add over one hundred and thirty megawatts of solar and sixty megawatts of battery storage. Dr. Leroy Almendarez explains what this transformation means.

 

Dr. Leroy Almendarez, C.E.O., Ministry of Public Utilities, Energy & Logistics

“Belize is at the transition where, we’re focusing more on renewable energy, but renewable energy things like, we still use hydro, that’s renewable. Solar is something we’re exploring. Hydropower is about thirty-something percent. We’re mostly importation from Mexico. That’s about fifty percent. The co-generation is about fifteen percent everywhere to put it that way. So most of it is still imported power. The World Bank is financing the forty megawatts, that will be ten blocks, if you will, or blocks of ten megawatts in four different locations. And then you have the Saudi project, which has another twenty megawatts. So, in the next five years what we’re looking at is one hundred and thirty-five megawatts of solar and sixty megawatts of batteries. The first batteries should be in place no later than I would say, the end of 2026. Right? So, it’s not a far-fetched idea anymore. The batteries will come in.”