Saint Lucia utility acquires 70 acres for major solar expansion in Micoud

Saint Lucia Electricity Services Limited (LUCELEC) has completed the purchase of 70 acres at Troumassee in Micoud to build a 10 megawatt solar farm with battery storage, the utility announced on Friday, October 23, 2026.

The facility is scheduled to begin operations in the second quarter of 2028 and will displace roughly 1.2 million gallons of imported fuel each year. It will complement LUCELEC's existing 3 megawatt solar installation at La Tourney in Vieux Fort, which opened in 2018.

Finding appropriate land proved to be the central challenge delaying the project since its 2019 inception. Ormond Reece, LUCELEC's Senior Manager for Planning, explained: "Getting land was one of the major hurdles we faced in implementing the project." He added that with the land now secured, construction could begin before year-end 2026.

The utility is finalising contractor arrangements and expects to commence work before December. Battery systems at the site will stabilise power output when cloud cover reduces solar generation, allowing the farm to deliver steady electricity to the grid.

Managing Director Gilroy Pultie called the land acquisition a watershed moment for the company's renewable energy strategy. Years of land acquisition difficulties had prevented meaningful expansion beyond the La Tourney farm. "It really is the starting point of this project taking off," Pultie said.

The investment aligns with LUCELEC's 2035 Strategic Business Plan, which targets renewable sources for at least half of the utility's power generation by that year while preserving service reliability and reducing long-term costs. Pultie cautioned that the benefits would emerge gradually: "The impact of this investment will not be realised until about 2 and a half or a little over 2 years."

While the solar farm will not ease electricity bills in the near term, LUCELEC framed it as part of its response to fuel surcharges straining household and business finances. The utility is simultaneously negotiating with the Government of Saint Lucia on interim measures to reduce the burden of current electricity costs on consumers.