BMR Energy to rebuild a hurricane damaged solar farm in the Caribbean
BMR Energy, a Virgin Group investment, has announced its latest clean energy project to rebuild a solar farm that was damaged by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands.
The new 6.4 megawatt (MWp) plant will include more than 14,000 solar panels and has been designed with stronger and more resilient systems to help withstand future storms. It is expected to be complete and enter service later this year, and will sell the power it generates to the Virgin Island Power and Water Authority under a newly negotiated 25-year Power Purchase Agreement.
Bruce Levy, CEO of BMR Energy, said: “After Hurricane Irma destroyed the plant nearly four years ago, our team was eager to fully understand the failures of the prior design and installation and build it back stronger. We’ve considered design recommendations from experts throughout the industry and conducted wind tunnel tests on all systems and equipment. With this resilient design, the facility will be able to deliver reliable, clean energy to the local community for decades to come.”
BMR Energy launched in 2014 to deliver clean, affordable and sustainable energy solutions to the Caribbean and Latin America while also supporting local economies. The Virgin Group purchased BMR Energy in 2016 to support its efforts to build a greener, stronger and more resilient Caribbean.
BMR’s current projects include a green solar project in Guatemala, a wind project in Jamaica, a solar restoration project in St. Croix, and a solar farm in the Cayman Islands. In addition to its energy projects, BMR is also creating positive change at the community level with initiatives that span economic development, infrastructure upgrades, support for schools and community engagement.
Learn more about BMR and its new solar farm project in St. Thomas here.