Anegada solar project faces roadblocks overall cost inflates
With the territory heavily focused on renewable energy to combat the climbing oil, gas, and electricity prices, Premier Dr Natalio Wheatley recently said there have been some roadblocks over the completion of the Anegada Microgrid Project.
The project, done through a signed agreement with the BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC) and the US-based solar energy company Power52, was expected to be completed sometime in November of this year. This was based on the information given by Chief Executive Officer of Power52, Robert Wallace Jr at the contract signing last November.
However, in a recent update, the Premier said inflation and the rising cost of goods and services caused some hindrance to the progress of the project.
“I don’t have a proper update except to say it is still going to happen. I know that they were impacted by inflation and the cost of the project would have gone up. There seemed to be some issues that they were trying to resolve,” Dr Wheatley said.
“I would have to check with the RDA (Recovery and Development Agency) and with Power52 to see if those issues have been resolved so that they can move forward. But it is still going to happen. There have been delays but I will perhaps ask the Minster for the Environment, which is Honourable Turnbull to give an update,” the Premier added.
The Microgrid Project was expected to be the first solar and battery storage sustainable island in the world.
Back in 2020, the US-based solar energy company was awarded a contract of over $4.5 million to complete the project. At the time, it was said to be substantially lower than most of the bidders that submitted a proposal to the government.
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I don’t understand this guy whenever he comes to the people to speak on an issue, he always doesn’t have the details. He is worst than Fahie when it comes to accountability.
Even if the UK wanted to put a unity Government together why did they choose him to be premier? He is as weak and wilful as they come. The BVI people deserve better.
Well, put it back out to tender and actually have the most well qualified company go ahead and do the work.
Much like the airline deal prior, one only has to do basic research to find out who the people we’re dealing with are. Power 52 have a bad track record, yet we still chose them.
There should be no surprises as to why this country is where it is, and why this project has failed to date. Leadership issues, ineptitude, and endless poor choices with the public’s money.
And that’s why the bid was lower…they don’t have the capital to get the supplies and start on the project. They want BVI to front all of the money and be left holding the bag when they bail on this project. Basically, 0% interest loan for the company and they walk with the money!
It’s not as if The BVI Beacon didn’t warn us. Why we prefer to deal with questionable companies, I’ll never know. Oh, wait, I have an idea.
https://www.bvibeacon.com/power52-lawsuits/
What a f**king I**ot we have for a Premier? Sl** Wande, and come to think about it every politician, who has/ ever had the power to open up the electricity corp to being made a public enterprise should be/ have been pulled out of their office by the jockey strap (wedgie style). What is Sl** Wande doing as the Minister of finance.
How much have we already paid them v how much has been completed?
Who was the local partner? I assume there was one.
Is this another crime? Surely the COI should have looked in to this. Of course this is a crime, why, why would our government give Power52 the contract? Oh, wait, I have an idea.
But another idea is how stupid is solar on Anegada, anyway. Big winds and high seas destroy solar panels which are known to have short lives, just ask the Marine industry. Just another scam with a payoff for some?
Suspend the constitution and arrest the criminals who have financially destroyed the BVI. The money games simply have to END or the BVI will never be a livable island.
Here we go again!
is it too late to back out
Which is the story of our agreements with all these companies. Remember BVI Airways?
Every whip stitch the same story! It will never end until all the bad apples are buried.
Its pretty clear isnt it that the companies who pay the biggest bribes to our crooked politicians get the contracts.
Then dont complete them.
A pattern that has been going on for years
Wheres the scrubber?
Where is the scrubber?
Where is Margaritaville at the cruise park?
Where is the BVI airline?
Where is the million dollar wall?
Where is the sewage and road system?
Where has all the money gone?
I have many more questions.
If I recall this was taken off the RDA and thats when it all started going wrong! BVIEC tendered this and signed the contract. Does he know what he is doing?
Maybe if the RDA had done the project it would have happened by now and probably got some UK funding too.
We all saw this coming. The public did their own homework and could see this guy was a cr**k. HOA went ahead obviously because the was money in it for them.
Mango tree don’t make apples…
Exactly – if you are aleader, don’t turn up with no information. Phrases like:
“or something like that”
“would have gone up”
are not credible or professional. Get a f***ing grip.
Oh, and this poject will never happen due to the shambolic and corrupt self-interest going on in the background to undermine the whole thing
What happens to the water contracts, road contracts, all the spending we dont know about .
The Company, Power52, probably doesn’t have the money to start the project and rather than be honest, that they haven’t done any due diligence and this is another failed project like the BVI airplane project, Slow Wande want to act as if the RDA is responsible. What kind of Minister of Finance he is, Buddy? The Beacon article says that the principles of Power52 filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the US years ago. What idiot leaders we have in this place, Buddy
Exactly. Read the Beacon article. The principals of Pawer52 declared bankruptcy in Maryland a few years ago. They probably don’t have the money and our so called leaders didn’t do their due diligence.
This is another BVI Plane fiasco.
Slow Wande aint figure it out yet. Don’t worry he will maybe some time next Year. He may be late but he eventually gets it.
When will we have a minister of finance that understands finance? And, leaders that do Google searches before inking contracts? Slow Wande and this Unified group of A** Clowns ain’t the ones. We in trouble, Buddy
Who dont hear will feel!!!!!
In addtion there are now BVIslander owned Solar entities capable of doing the job. If Power52 arent delivering they need to be sacked. (on the other foot how many times has taxpayer money forked out for breach of contract!)
The headline for this article is unintelligible.
No local company partnered with him The bid wasnt even submitted by power 52. It was submitted by power 52 bvi a company registered in the bvi by wallace. Dont know who in govt helped him get that. He also got buck island at the same time btw.
He later tried to hire us a subcontractors for the project. Never got a penny for any wprk done. F**k those criminals