Central American nation Belize seeks consultation for 40 MW BESS project

The Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment of the country of Belize located on the north-eastern coast of Central America has called for expressions of interest (EOI) from energy storage experts and consultants to assist the country's proposed flagship power management project named as 'Belize Renewable Integration and Resilient Energy System Project'. 

The project, backed by funding from the World Bank, is aimed at the strengthening of the national power transmission infrastructure in the country, by improving its reliability and resilience against extreme climates and other emergencies. 

A battery energy storage system (BESS) facility of 40 MW capacity is sought under the project to enable seamless integration of clean energy onto the national electricity grid to provide uninterrupted supply of power to the country's residents. 

According to the World Bank, an amount of $65 million has been sanctioned for the battery storage project, which will be implemented by the country's national power utility and electricity operator Belize Electricity Limited.  

The deadline for the EOI ends on 8th August for the interested parties to participate in the consultation processes for the BESS project. 

Belize is one of the early movers in the Central American region to pursue battery energy storage for national grid resilience. Recently, Honduras had launched a consultation on regulatory changes to integrate energy storage in its electricity network.