Above: wind farms, like that in Nevis, are becomingly increasingly popular in the Caribbean (CJ Photo)

By the Caribbean Journal staff

Grenada will launch a wind energy project on the island of Carriacou in partnership with the European Union and GRENLEC, the government announced Tuesday.

The financing agreement for the project was approved in February at a cost of just over $5 million USD. Of that sum, $3.2 million is coming from the European Union to Grenada’s government, with around $1.8 million in counterpart funding from GRENLEC.

In a statement, Grenada’s government called the launch a “momentous step towards stabilizing electricity prices in Grenada and reducing our carbon footprint.”

“Carriacou’s size in relation to the rest of the electricity grid in Grenada means that the effect on the overall grid will be small,” the statement read. “Nevertheless, the project is important to the overarching strategy for renewable energy development in the state of Grenada.”

The project will include a wind farm and energy storage system, with the ultimate production of about 1 to 2 megawatts of energy. That would mean energy penetration of between 40 and 60 percent in Carriacou.

It also aims to reduce diesel consumption in Carriacou by 40 to 60 percent.

GRENLEC has another wind farm in the works in Grenada, which is also reportedly examining the possibility of geothermal energy.

The wind project was officially announced at a signing ceremony Tuesday morning.