The Anegada Hybrid Renewable Energy and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Project has been called the future of electricity generation in the Territory. Photo: Facebook

General Manager of the BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC), Dr Neil M. Smith said the goal is to go significantly into renewable energy for the production of energy in the territory. Photo: Facebook

Mr Sean Hartley, Electrician for the contractor installing the system on the Anegada Hybrid Renewable Energy and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Project said installation on the project was done from the ground up. Photo: Facebook

Giving an update from the site on Monday, August 18, 2025, Dr Smith said the project has taken a lot of grit, hard work, ingenuity and cooperation between the contractors and the BVIEC. 

“This is a signature project for us. It's a view into the future…We expect to be going significantly into renewable energy for the production of energy in the territory.”

The Anegada facility, he continued, is a prime example of what is possible. 

“This facility runs Anegada on renewable energy for around 19 hours a day right now, and we're still tweaking the system and expect it to get better.”

Installation done from the ground up

Mr Sean Hartley, Electrician for the contractor installing the system, said the installation was done from the ground up. 

Ground was broken for the project in 2022 by US-based Power52 Clean Energy Access. 

Currently, there are 1.2 megawatts of solar panels ‘DC side’, with the capability to produce about 900 kilowatts of solar ‘AC’, Mr Hartley explained. 

There are also four containers of energy storage, each one being about a megawatt-hour. “That’s four megawatt hours in total that we have to be able to run Anegada.”

Mr Hartley explained that the batteries charge from the solar, which in turn supplies Anegada with power. 

“As the sun kind of goes down, it'll start to transition over onto the batteries, and the batteries will supply the energy to Anegada till probably about early hours of the morning, and that's going to depend on your sunlight.”

Also present were Premier and Minister of Finance, Dr the Hon Natalio D. Wheatley, Minister for Health and Social Development and Ninth District Representative, Hon Vincent O. Wheatley, and Minister for Communications and Works, Hon Kye M. Rymer.