BEC Request for Proposals on Renewable Energy

by Larry Smith

Top BEC officials told me recently that they were finalising the terms of reference to issue a Request for Proposals  from interested companies to develop renewable energy projects in the Bahamas.

The RFP would be issued "within weeks" according to Jerome Elliot, a senior engineer at BEC who heads a special committee on renewable energy appointed in December by corporation chairman Fred Gottlieb.The committee has produced three progress reports so far and is working on an implementation plan.

According to Elliot, "We engaged in a fact-checking exercise on renewable energy to eliminate inappropriate technologies and move forward with those that might be implemented. We are developing the RFP now to give to selected companies that specialise in the candidate technologies."

Among the technologies considered suitable for implementation in the Bahamas are solar photovoltaics (especially parabolic trough collectors), hydrokinetics (including ocean wave and tidal systems), thermals (including OTEC and biomass conversion), gasification (using biogas from landfills) and wind power.

"We are not at the point where renewable energy is economic at utility scale," Chairman Gottlieb said. "But this may come sooner rather than later given the escalating cost of fuel. Our challenge is to get up and running to prepare for that point. The committee has put a lot of effort into this - we are not just dabbling because it is now imperative. It is part of this government's strategy and will be actively pursued."

BEC General Manager Kevin Basden told me that on the table right now is an investment of hundreds of millions in new conventional oil-fired plants on Abaco, New Providence, Bimini and Eleuthera.

"We also taking over the Inagua power plant from Morton (Bahamas) Ltd. "We are just not at that point where renewable energy can meet present demand on these islands, but we are looking to create public private partnerships through power purchase agreements with RE firms.

"I am engineer with 27 years experience at BEC and I totally support RE efforts, but it has to be properly managed in terms of what is best for the country."

Comments

[Tim Roberts]

It would be reassuring if there were a reconsideration of Abaco's proposed Bunker C Plant, the implementation of which goes counter to all this government seemingly stands for.

Abaco needs to get vocal and let the government know we WILL NOT accept this kind of power station.

[Larry Keith]

BEC has options, the Genesis Hybrid Wind Generator is 100% renewable energy, produces 59 MKWH's annually at a fixed rate cost of $.035 per KWH over 35 years. This system can be designed for nearly any large power application (4 MKWH's-59 MKWH's annualy. Contact Genesis Energy Technologies CEO Larry Keith (305)420-6274

[Charlie Madden]

Hi

Do ou have any RFP's re rthe following?:

WindWays Pty Ltd

1 – 4,000 kW

1 Executive Summary

WindWays has been established to develop and market 6 related products driven by wind turbines up to 4,000 kW, using the energy of the wind to:

1 aerate sewage or waste water or reduce it
2 make biodiesel from algae grown in the ballast tanks
3 generate fresh water from salt water, or dirty water
4 provide heating, for example in lighthouses & greenhouses in the north.
5 Make electricity
6 Pump water or oil.
- or combinations of these, all of which will reap carbon credits by replacing the use of electricity or fuel.

Sir Charles Madden Bt BSc mechanical engineering MTech design MBA marketing Technical Director

charlie.madden@internode.on.net P: 0433 565 039

[Charlie Madden]

Hi

We are seeking RFP's re the above

Regards

Charlie

[Charlie Madden]

Hi

We are seeking RFP's re the above

Regards

Charlie