The Government of Anguilla is looking into the possibility of an alternative source of electricity for the island. This follows the signing of an MOU between the Anguilla Government and Gridspan Energy.
The plan is for the provision of battery-powered electricity for potential consumers wishing to switch to that system. The project is formally known as MEST (Mobile Energy Service Transmission).
The MOU was signed on Friday, March 8th.The Department of Environment was represented by Mr. Calvin Samuel who facilitated the process. According to him, he had met with Gridspan at an environmental initiative conducted by the OECS, in St. Lucia, last October. At that conference, the going themes were renewable energy, infrastructure and water resource management.
Mr. Samuel explained: “At that OECS conference, we had met with the CEO of Gridspan, Mr. Alec Macklis, who engaged us in a very fruitful conversation on battery powered electricity. He showed us some of the technology he was working with, at the time, and he became interested in a small-island application for this kind of technology. Mr. Macklis was attracted to the idea of applying a pilot project to a small island, like Anguilla, which has the advantages for convenient research and testing.”
Speaking further on the Mobile Energy Storage Transmission (MEST) System, Mr. Samuel stated: “We felt it was quite necessary to relate this concept to Executive Council, and we did so in January. The Minister was happy to progress the idea very quickly, and we were eventually able to formulate an MOU which we are signing today to conduct research and tests on the MEST System.”
In his comments on the project, Mr. Macklis stated: “Gridspan Energy is honored and excited to work with and learn from ANGLEC and the Government on this exciting project. We look forward to all the good it can do and all the lessons that we can learn from the tests and research.”
“Gridspan Energy would like to thank the entire government team as well as the ANGLEC team, for diligently working towards getting this project under agreement.”
The Hon. Curtis Richardson, Minister responsible for Utilities, then remarked: “It is a privilege and an honor to be signing this MOU with Gridspan Energy, today. I am pleased with the work of Mr. Calvin Samuel. I am also impressed with the work of Mr. Dallen Connor who has a great passion for the environment in Anguilla.
“Electricity can indeed be a challenge. What Gridspan brings to us is another effort in providing us with an alternative in addressing our electricity needs. I welcome the initiative of Mr. Macklis, and I hope that this pilot project meets with much success so that electricity generation in Anguilla can grow from strength to strength.”
With respect to the project, ANGLEC’s CEO, Mr. David Gumbs, noted: “It’s a pleasure for me to represent ANGLEC in this new initiative that would be looking at energy storage and greater resiliency in a small, vulnerable grid environment like Anguilla’s. What we will learn from this project will be beneficial to us in terms of the technology that it affords us. It will allow us to understand our electricity grid in much better ways, and at the same time it will allow us to learn lessons of introducing renewable energy.”
Written by Staff Reporter – James Harrigan
