Rapid Economic Growth Requires Energy Security

Belize’s high energy demand is the result of a growth spurt that has surpassed the existing supply that is being fed to the national grid.  It’s a gift and a curse.  While the economy continues to grow, the need for additional energy is not being met.  Here’s the prime minister on the pending solar alternative.

 

Prime Minister John Briceño

“What has happened to both the Yucatan Peninsula and Belize is that, for instance, we are victims of our success.  Our economy has been growing so fast that it has been difficult for BEL to be able to keep up with the energy use of the country.  We are presently using the projections of 2028.  That’s where BEL projected that in 2028 we are going to be, here we are in 2024.  Our government, from the day we got in we started to… we knew it was coming, but we did not expect that it was going to happen in 2024.  So we’ve been working on other projects, solar in particular, and a battery.  I think it’s a forty-five megawatt battery storage with the World Bank.  With the Saudis, when we spoke to them, they immediately said yes, we’re prepared to lend you, it’s seventy-seven million, I think, US dollars.  Once they approve that, dehn noh wahn write you wahn check, then we have to come up with the actual designs and place where we are going to put it. The area has been identified, it’s going to be in Bomba, you know, by the Maskall area, and we expect that by July or August of next year, the first twenty megawatts is going to be online.  Now BEL’s challenge is to ensure that they continue to work on improving their transmission lines.”