Eiffage Energía, an Eiffage Group company, together with the French energy company Schneider Electric, will build a photovoltaic power plant in Jamaica with a peak power capacity of 51.5 MWP. The value of the contract is nearly EUR 55 million.
The “Paradise Park” photovoltaic (PV) power plant will be developed in Westmoreland Parish, in the south-western part of Jamaica, more than 150 kilometres west of the capital, Kingston. The main shareholder of the power plant is France’s leading producer of renewable energy, NEOEN, and the financing of the project in the amount of USD 64 million will be provided, among others, by the French development financial institution PROPARCO.
Eiffage Energía, a Spanish subsidiary of Eiffage Group, will handle the construction of the project as part of a consortium with Schneider Electric. Once ready, the power plant will be put into operation in the first half of 2019. Eiffage Energía will also maintain the power plant for the subsequent 20 years.
“Paradise Park” is being built as part of the implementation of Jamaica’s National Energy Policy for 2009-2030, according to which the share of renewable energy in total electricity production in Jamaica is to increase fourfold, from 5% in 2008 to 20% in 2030. However, in 2008, renewable energy came from hydroelectric power plants and wind farms only. Since 2008, a number of smaller solar plants and one larger 28 MWP PV power plant have been built, but when completed, “Paradise Park” will be the largest photovoltaic power plant on the island.
In the same period, the share of energy generated from crude oil is to decrease dramatically, from 95% in 2008 to 30% in 2030. The Policy’s overarching goal is to diversify Jamaica’s energy mix by 2030, and to include in it also energy generated from natural gas (42%) and other sources (8%).
This latest agreement reflects Eiffage’s prowess in the solar energy sector. So far, Eiffage Group companies have developed solar power plants with a total capacity of more than 1.5 GW worldwide. Among them are:
- Europe’s largest PV power plant with a capacity of 300 MWP in Cestas close to Bordeaux, south-western France, commissioned in 2015;
- one of the largest PV power plants with a capacity of 110 MWp in Latin America, in Quilapilún close to Santiago, Chile, commissioned in 2017;
- a PV power plant with a capacity of 30 MWp in Senegal, 120 km north-east of Dakar, commissioned in early 2018;
- a PV power plant with a capacity of 50 MWp in Toujounine, in the suburbs of Mauretania’s capital, Nouakchott, commissioned in 2018.
In 2018, Eiffage is also scheduled to deliver the “Huatacondo” PV power plant (98 MWp) currently under construction in the Atacama Desert in Chile.
Photovoltaic power plant in Jamaica in numbers:
- Name: “Paradise Park”
- Location: Westmoreland Parish, Jamaica
- Peak power capacity: 51.5 MWP
- Majority shareholder: NEOEN
- General contractor: a consortium of Eiffage Energía and Schneider Electric
- Maintenance (20 years): Eiffage Energía
- Planned commissioning date: H1 2019
Eiffage Energía, a subsidiary of Eiffage Énergie Systèmes, ranks among the leaders in the renewable energy sector, with numerous contracts to its name around the world. Eiffage Energía has helped to build almost one third of Chile’s photovoltaic facilities to date. The company works for top-tier energy utilities and has built more than 50 solar power plants and 85 wind farms worldwide. In addition to its power generation business, Eiffage Energía is very active in the energy transmission, distribution and maintenance sectors. More about Eiffage Energía – http://www.energia.eiffage.es/en/
Eiffage Energía belongs to the Eiffage Group, one of the largest construction groups and concession operators in Europe. It employs more than 65,000 people and has an annual turnover of €15 billion. All over the world, Eiffage is famous for its bold, ambitious and very demanding projects. The representative of Eiffage Group in Poland is Eiffage Polska Budownictwo