PM Timothy Harris inaugurates SOLEC Solar Farm, project to handle 30-35 percent of energy needs upon completion

Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Timothy Harris expressed his satisfaction at the official start of the SOLEC Leclanché Solar Farm, a major government capital project. It will help in the renewable goals of the country upon completion and result in a drop of the cost of electricity to the customer over time.

The project was inaugurated at the Needsmust Estate, where Deputy Prime Minister- Eugene Hamilton, Attorney General- Vincent Byron and Clement Jomo Williams- General Manager of the St Kitts Electricity Company Ltd, also participated in the event.

Prime Minister Timothy Harris stated that the solar generation and storage project would provide 30-35 percent of St Kitts' baseload energy needs while eliminating carbon dioxide emissions by more than 740,000 metric tonnes.

Given the current situation on the global stage, where the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine has resulted in record-high gas prices, Prime Minister Harris noted that this project is a welcome one.

"We are pleased that we can look to the future in the context of the current reality of rising energy costs everywhere, largely as a result of externalities – one of the most significant of which is the war between Ukraine and Russia – and the disruption or exacerbation of supply chain issues relating to the movement of goods and services elsewhere," Prime Minister Harris said.

The rollout of this huge project, according to the Prime Minister, is yet another proof of his administration's commitment to building a better and safer future for all of the country's people and residents.

"Today, we can talk about progress in the alternative energy arena, and you'll notice from the outline that it's not just about the solar plant—important as it is—in the forward thrust, in the strengthening of the country, as part of delivering a stronger, safer future, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and putting us on a more reliable alternative," said the Prime Minister.

The solar farm is being erected on a 102-acre tract of government-owned property adjacent to the current SKELEC power station in the Basseterre Valley. The St. Kitts project will be the Caribbean's largest solar production and energy storage system once completed.