NASSAU, BAHAMAS – Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) CEO Toni Seymor, speaking at the Bahamas Business Outlook on Thursday, announced the start of microgrid projects in Abaco and Eleuthera within the first half of the year, the first phase of an LNG terminal in New Providence, and plans to boost generating capacity, begin solar field construction, and convert primary units to LNG fuel within this year.
Seymour noted that creating a strong energy infrastructure requires a significant financial commitment. “Unfortunately, BPL’s current financial situation makes it very difficult for us to independently fund extensive projects that involve upgrades to generation, transmission, distribution, and deploying microgrids across all inhabited islands. Simply put, the scale of this transformation is enormous, with projected costs exceeding a billion dollars.
“BPL alone cannot shoulder this financial burden. To achieve our vision, we need the help of strategic partnerships, innovative financing solutions, and collaboration between the public and private sectors,” said Seymour.
Seymour noted that over 95 percent of BPL’s energy comes from fossil fuels, primarily heavy-fuel oil and diesel. “While these fuels have been the norm, we must consider their carbon footprint, especially given our environmental vulnerabilities and the fact that their prices, as well as availability, are controlled by larger countries.”
Seymour noted that BPL operates 29 power stations across 17 islands, which poses unique challenges. BPL, in partnership with the Government and several Independent Power Producers (IPPs), is funding microgrid projects across the islands and utility-scale solar projects in New Providence.
These projects, Seymour noted, are valuable for their energy benefits and the opportunities they create for Bahamians. They pave the way for new energy jobs and allow BPL’s teams to upskill, guaranteeing we have the talent pool to sustain our operations across generations.
“In the coming years, we are excited to announce that we will integrate the equivalent of about 100 megawatts of utility-scale solar power for New Providence. This represents more than one-third of the island’s peak energy demands. Our modeling is specifically designed to maximize the advantages of utility solar while avoiding the vulnerabilities that our regional counterparts have encountered by relying solely on solar as their primary energy source,” said Seymour.
She added: “Instead of that approach, we propose a balanced solution: utility-scale solar deployed across multiple sites, combined with battery energy storage systems. We are already experiencing the benefits of these systems. Our 27 megawatt-per-hour BESS at Blue Hills is already yielding fuel savings monthly in addition to its primary role as a more efficient backup to our traditional spinning reserve model where a fuel-burning unit remains online and in standby mode to absorb changes in peak or operational anomalies.”
According to Seymour, the first microgrid projects will begin construction, starting with Abaco and Eleuthera in the first half of this year.
“We are proud to announce that our partner Bahamas Utility Holdings is expected to start construction on the first phase of the LNG terminal, which is the initial step in making LNG available for use at our two plants in New Providence. Simultaneously with the construction of the terminal, we will continue to add generating capacity to the New Providence grid, with BUH providing another 60MW of high-efficiency power to meet New Providence’s growing energy needs. Also, in 3-6 months, we will amp up our plans for T&D upgrades in New Providence, including preparing our network for summer 2025.”
Seymor also noted that within this year, it is expected that two of three solar fields for New Providence will commence construction, with at least two of the primary BUH units converting to use more environmentally friendly LNG fuel.
