NGC Chairman Gerald Ramdeen has criticised the development of the Brechin Castle Solar Park, saying the project was poorly planned and left the current administration with significant challenges.
Speaking to reporters, he said the solar facility, touted as the largest in the Caribbean, was constructed without battery storage, limiting its effectiveness and reducing the value it brings to the national electricity grid.
Mr Ramdeen argued that the project lacked proper planning and questioned the solar farm’s lack of appropriate battery storage capacity.
“That transaction that was proclaimed to be the largest solar farm in the Caribbean was a solar farm that was built without a battery. Let the Minister answer the question as to why they did that, the former Minister, sorry. It was a project that had no vision because they told us they would bring 98 megawatts of power to the grid. And when you have rain falling, or clouds in the sky, you’re getting 24. And no battery.”
Mr Ramdeen said the Government is working with stakeholders, including NGC, BP and Shell, to determine how the project can be made economically viable.
He accused the previous administration of focusing on publicity rather than ensuring the long-term success of the project.
“One of the most irresponsible decisions was to do that. That you put up a solar farm. No part of the world do you do that. But you want to proclaim. You know one of the things that we had to stop at the NGC? That under the last administration, you know they sanctioned a party to open the solar farm and the budget for it was almost TT$2 million. TT$2 million to have a party to open it.”