Tapping into Solar Energy

Big technological changes are coming to Belize. As previously reported, the University of Belize will soon be acquiring the country’s first forensic lab. This significant acquisition is just one of the projects in progress to advance Belize’s resources. According to the C.E.O. of the Ministry of Economic Development, Doctor Osmond Martinez, more focus is now being placed on solar energy.

 

Dr. Osmond Martinez, C.E.O., Ministry of Economic Development

“And then the other projects that are with is the forensic science lab, which the feasibility study is ongoing the forensic science lab will be at the University of Belize campus. That is where it will be established. It will be a modern foreign science lab, and so that will be very good for the country, but also to help us to educate our university students. Then with the Saudis, we have the territory hospital, which we have move on now that’s the-join Belmopan hospital. We will be signing the feasibility study sometime. I am hoping that by April or May, the latest. The feasibility studies for the surgery hospital and then along with those with the Saudi funds, we are also working in terms of getting the solar panels, the solar farms. And the first, twenty megawatts might start to come this year, it might be so the construction of the first, twenty megawatts will be done this year. And then the along with NCC, which we will be negotiating or Belize will be negotiating at a two hundred fifty million dollars grant. It’s a two hundred fifty million dollars grant that will be negotiated in Washington within the week of April fifteenth to the eighteenth of April of this year. So that again will be huge and that will have an impact within the education sector and the energy sector. Then we have with the World Bank, we’re doing the blue cities and beyond program and that will impact Belize City the sewer system drainage also Placencia Dangriga, San Pedro and also Punta Gorda. It’s our hope that Blue Cities and beyond program can help us to reduce poverty and at the same time to have climate resilient projects.”