Brereton Solar Farm
Community Windpower (CWL) and Barbados National Oil Company Limited (BNOCL) are collaborating on the development of Brereton Solar Farm which will be sited on the Carrington & Woodbourne Estates in St. Philip, Barbados. Currently the land is used to extract oil and gas from the derricks that can be found across the site, many of which are no longer in operation.
CWL have secured planning permission to build a 40MW solar PV farm and a battery energy storage facility, combined with agricultural facilities including a diverse agricultural farm comprising of greenhouses, irrigated crop fields and a sheep farm, on a specific area of the estate.
Latest News: CWL are delighted to confirm that the Minister granted permission on 14th March 2024, subject to conditions, reasons and Informative Clauses, for the proposals contained in Application No. 1849/12/2020D which is for the installation of a 40MW solar photovoltaic and agricultural facility at Carrington & Woodbourne Plantations, St. Philip (Brereton Solar Farm).
Generating 40MW of clean energy
Diverse agricultural facilities.
24,000 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide saved
each year.
Powering over 22,000 homes per annum.
Site Location
The proposed development is located on the land of Carrington and Woodbourne Estate which is approximately 350m South of Brereton. The facility will cover approximately 166 acres of the 615 acre Carrington and Woodbourne Plantations.
The site lies within the parishes of Saint Philip and Christ Church and is located to the east of the Six Cross Roads settlement and to the south of Highway 5.
Benefits of the Scheme
The proposed development will:
- Generate clean, green renewable electricity for over 22,000 homes.
- Displace over 24,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide each year.
- Reduce the reliance on imported and expensive fossil fuels, thereby reducing pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
- Help Barbados to meet their target to use 100% renewable energy by 2030.
- Provide energy security and flexibility.
Project Description
CWL is proposing a 40 Megawatt (MW) solar photovoltaic (PV) farm which will generate renewable electricity. The PV solar panels convert energy from sunlight into electrical energy.
The solar farm will consist of approximately 100, 400 solar PV panels mounted onto fixed-tilt racking with a maximum height of less than 2m.
The development will also include a battery energy storage system (BESS) which will be able to store up to the full 40MW output of the solar farm for a period of up to 4 hours. The battery storage facility will allow surplus electricity to be safely stored to be used at a time when demand is higher, improving energy flexibility and security for Barbados.
Additional project information
In addition to generating electricity, the project shall also include:
- An intensive agricultural farm (both greenhouses and irrigated field crops);
- A sheep farm together with pens;
- An area for growing fodder below the PV panels;
- Diversification of agricultural crops in some areas, with the continuation of sugar cane in the southern areas;
- A Substation and Control building.
Construction of the proposal is expected to take approximately 6 months, supporting the Barbados Governments plan to produce 100% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
