Wind Turbine Energy comes to Antigua and Barbuda

In another sign of its commitment to a cleaner and greener environment, the government of Antigua and Barbuda signed a $15 Million USD renewable energy deal with the French-based global renewable energy solutions provider, Vergnet Group, on Tuesday, January 30th.

The deal, which will see the country becoming equipped with high tech wind hybrid and wind only interactive power grids, was negotiated between the two countries in 2017.

The agreement became official on Tuesday at the headquarters of the Ministry of Health and the Environment when the two parties put pen to paper and later shook hands, signifying the official start of the partnership.

Earlier, Health and Environment Minister-Molwyn Joseph told the gathering that the Government has learned its lesson following Hurricane Irma and Maria and he believes that the new technology will greatly aid the country in its bid to restore normalcy following the passage of hurricanes and tropical storms.

“We have learned that we have to prepare for these storms in a manner where our responses could restore vital services in our country. In the past, it would take at least six months to a year for normalcy to return and basic services to be restored, the supply of water, the supply of electricity especially in our critical institutions: our schools, our hospitals, our government departments. And it is for this reason why we embark on a new path, rather than having to live with these consequences, to let us see what technology is available,” Minister Joseph declared.

He added that with the new equipment, the time is at hand where the island will be able to restore vital and critical services within a twenty-four hour period.

“The Government went out and with the support of the Environment Department, we secured some vital services using solar and wind energy and we are pleased today that a company as reputable as Vergnet has won the bid and is now here officially to sign this contract. This is a major step for Antigua and Barbuda and I look forward to the day after the passage of a hurricane that we can within twenty-four hours restore water services in Antigua and Barbuda, restore electricity to our hospitals, to our clinics, and to our schools,” he said.  

On hand as well at the signing ceremony were the director of Business Development in the Vergnet Group-Marc Rivard and Chris Gavin, who is the Vergnet Group’s Manager Business Development.

An emotionally filled Rivard expressed delight at the new partnership and showered heaps of praises on the government for the vision they had in going after renewable energy technology. He also applauded the Gaston Brown administration for its handling of the aftermath of both Hurricane Irma and Maria, particularly the evacuation of the sister isle of Barbuda.

The Vergnet Group won the bid in 2017 and will be supplying and erecting the wind turbines and wind hybrid (wind and solar Energy) interactive power systems.

The project coordinator for the Department of Environment, Churchill Norbert was also on hand for the signing and announced that the project forms part of a fifteen million US dollar grant from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development.