Caribbean RoundUp

Bahamas

Prime Minister Phillip Davis says his government is committed to tackling the long-standing challenges in the energy sector with comprehensive, innovative solutions.

At the Eco-Energy Bahamas Microgrid signing ceremony, Prime Minister Davis said that the partnership represents a fundamental shift in how communities receive power by embracing the abundant sunshine that has always defined the Bahamian way of life.

“The need for progress on energy reform had long been clear, but the complexity and challenges were always daunting. We decided to take it all on, anyway. As solar technology advanced, we knew we could build a way to reduce our country’s dependence on heavy, expensive fuels.” After much research and negotiations, Davis said, “We are finally building a resilient energy network that can better withstand hurricanes, create good jobs for Bahamians, attract new investments, and generate electricity at a lower cost for consumers.”

He said the partnership with Eco Energy Bahamas Ltd demonstrates the government’s unwavering commitment to solar energy as a crucial component of the national energy strategy.

This project will deliver the first significant solar installation in New Providence. Eco Energy Bahamas will construct a 20-megawatt solar facility supported by a five-megawatt-hour Battery Energy Storage System.

The installation will inject 20 megawatts of clean, renewable power into the grid, Davis said. It will transform how electricity is generated in New Providence and set the standard for future solar projects throughout the islands.

Davis believes that this new energy era will lead to a new economic era, adding, “The dawn of this solar era will illuminate new possibilities for our nation, powering communities, energizing businesses, and creating new pathways to prosperity.”

Guyana

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enhance bilateral defense cooperation and strengthen military ties between the two nations.

The signing followed a high-level engagement led by President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who met with the UK’s Minister of State in the Ministry of Defence, Lord Vernon Coaker, during a recent visit to the Office of the President.

Ali emphasized the importance of the UK-Guyana partnership, highlighting shared values, and welcomed the agreement as a timely and strategic development in the context of regional and global security dynamics.

Chief of Defence Staff Brig Omar Khan noted that the MoU outlines several areas for enhanced collaboration, including training, information sharing, cybersecurity, humanitarian exercises, and defense acquisition.

He added that with decades of enduring relations between Guyana and the UK, this agreement further consolidates a strong and valued defense partnership.

The MoU represents a renewed commitment to cooperation between the GDF and the UK’s Ministry of Defence.

Haiti

From Jan. 1 to March 27, more than 1,500 people have been reported killed in Haiti, with 572 others injured, the UN mission, known as BINUH, said.

Many people in these communities were left homeless, with gangs setting fire to some of their homes and even raping women and girls, the report said.

Two journalists also have been reported missing recently.

Gangs control approximately 85% of the capital, Port-au-Prince. However, many believe the city already has fallen, said Jake Johnston, international research director at the Washington-based Center for Economic and Policy Research.

“For the vast majority, that threshold was passed long ago he said. On April 2, thousands of protesters marched toward the offices of the prime minister and the transitional presidential council, demanding an end to gang violence as they confronted police and were met with gunfire and tear gas.

“What it really shows you is the sort of level of frustration,” Johnson said. “Taking to the streets to protest in this context is obviously not a safe thing to do, but people are willing to risk their lives.”

The United Nations has warned that the mission led by Kenyan police lacks funds and personnel, operating with only about 40% of the 2,500 personnel originally envisioned.

Jamaica

Japan has donated five state-of-the-art inshore patrol vessels to Jamaica. Tokyo says the vessels will enable the security force to effectively respond to a wide range of maritime threats and play a crucial role in search-and-rescue operations, humanitarian assistance, and disaster response efforts.

“Both our island nations, Japan and Jamaica, are surrounded by vast seas and ocean waters.

“Likewise, it is our shared responsibility to safeguard these oceans, as these waters provide us with a wealth of resources and opportunities as well as significant challenges in our respective maritime domain, which is vulnerable to climate change, illegal human and narcotics smuggling, illegal and unregulated fishing, and other maritime threats,” said Japan’s ambassador to Jamaica, Yasuhiro Atsum.

In presenting the vessels to the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) and Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), the diplomat said that the ships will enable the security forces to effectively respond to a wide range of maritime threats and play a crucial role in search-and-rescue operations.

“These vessels will complement the training already received in 2022 by an officer from Jamaica’s Ministry of National Security, who participated in the JICA’s (Japan International Cooperation Agency’s) training program in Japan for maritime rescue and maritime disaster prevention,” he said.

He hoped that “these vessels will operate efficiently, stay sustainable, and serve as a physical symbol of the strong bond between Japan and Jamaica.”

The vessels were provided under Japan’s J$420-million Grant Aid Program.

Vice Admiral Antonette Wemyss-Gorman, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), said that “the inshore patrol vessels will increase the IDF’s maritime law-enforcement capabilities to effect its duties in the maritime domain.”

She said that the vessels will better equip the Maritime Air and Cyber Command, through the First and Second District of the JDF Coast Guard, to conduct maritime interdiction, fisheries protection, and search-and-rescue operations.

St. Lucia

The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission added the Milan-based ELC Electroconsult S.p.A firm as a geothermal energy engineering and technical advisor to the St. Lucia-based OECS Commission.

This collaboration is set to help guide geothermal energy development across the five participating member states of the OECS Geothermal Energy Capacity Building for Utilisation, Investment, and Local Development (OECS GEOBUILD) Programme. The five participating states include the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. This program aims to boost geothermal energy development in the OECS and the wider Caribbean region.

“This advisory is particularly timely as Dominica races to become the first geothermal power producer in the independent OECS and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) by as early as late 2025, an important initial milestone in the OECS Decade of Action for Sustainable Energy Development,” the OECS Commission said.

St. Kitts-Nevis has emerged as the first OECS member state to seek these specialized engineering and technical services for the Nevis Electricity Company Limited (NEVLEC) as it prepares for production drilling in 2026.

“Tapping into the heat below the island’s surface, St. Kitts and Nevis hopes to produce a 30 MW geothermal power plant in Hamilton Estate, Nevis,” the OECS Commission said, adding that its partnership with ELC Electroconsult S.p.A. will provide essential support, ensuring that the twin-island federation’s geothermal potential, which, if proved successful, could be shared by interconnecting the two islands with the appropriate submarine cables.

—Compiled by Devika Ragoonanan