Major Solar Project Launched to Drive Belize’s Clean Energy Future

Belize is making a bold move toward a cleaner, greener energy future. This week, a major step was taken as Belize Electricity Limited, working alongside the Government of Belize and the International Finance Corporation, launched the first phase of a groundbreaking solar energy project. The initiative could bring up to eighty megawatts of renewable power online, significantly expanding the country’s clean energy capacity. Through this new procurement process, private developers are being invited to help build and operate large-scale solar plants under the World Bank Group’s Scaling Solar program, all in support of Belize’s ambitious goal to generate seventy-five percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Today, we sat down with the Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Public Utilities, Energy and Logistics to learn more about what this project means for Belize and what comes next.

 

Dr. Leroy Almendarez, CEO, Ministry of Public Utilities, Energy and Logistics

“It says pre-qualifying. It’s like when you apply for a job and you’re shortlisted. That’s basically the situation here. But in terms of energy generation, prequalification in this case simply means there’s certain qualifications that you have to have technical qualification because really you become an independent power producer and not become you want it to be done by independent power producer. And basically what that means, if you’re the winning bidder, you have to set up construct and being able to generate power to sell to BEL. BEL is the off taker. So BEL is the buyer. So therefore, it means that whenever we reach that final stage where they are now ready to get into negotiations, because you have to determine what those rates will be, what the consumers more than likely will pay, that negotiation takes place between the winning bidder or winning bidders, and the Belize Electricity Limited. And so what was put out there is really to tell you that this is out there if you believe as an entity. An entity in this case is whether it’s domestic or international. But I must emphasize there is a focus to ensure that there is local investor participation. Local investor participation is something that is very important and I want our local investors to understand. Yes. Review the RFQ, just shirt for that request prequalification document. Go through the process, see what the requirements are technically and financially. And remember, you can join partners, you and I for example, if we believe that you’re technical and I’m financial and we have the capability we can join forces as a consortium and not for send in an application for consideration. Now, it’s important to understand certain dates. It was on the twenty-sixth. The expectation or the deadline for which, from which it will be opened, will be about March the twenty-seventh.”

 

That request for pre-qualification opened on January twenty-sixth, with interested developers, both local and international, having until March twenty‑seventh to apply. Officials are strongly encouraging local investors to get involved, even partnering as consortia, as Belize moves one step closer to locking in cleaner, more affordable energy for consumers in the years ahead.