‘New Hurricane-Resistant Power Plant Opens in Antigua and Barbuda’

The UAE-Caribbean Renewable Energy Fund (UAE-CREF) has announced the completion of a hurricane-resistant power project in Antigua and Barbuda developed by Masdar. In the wake of the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma in 2017, which forced Barbuda’s residents to seek refuge in Antigua, a climate-resistant power plant has been inaugurated on Barbuda.

This innovative project, designed to withstand winds of up to 265 km per hour, combines solar, battery, and backup diesel technologies to ensure a safe and reliable power supply for the island. The Green Barbuda project, part of Antigua and Barbuda’s goal to achieve 86 percent renewable energy by 2030, received full financing from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development as part of the US million UAE-CREF initiative.

Mohamed Saif Al Suwaidi, Director-General of ADFD, commended the success of UAE-CREF in driving the energy transformation in Antigua and Barbuda, reducing the country’s dependence on fossil fuel imports. Sultan Al Shamsi, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs, praised the project for contributing to sustainable development in the Caribbean and aligning with the UAE’s commitment to foreign aid and climate action.

The CEO of Masdar, Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, emphasized the project’s role in providing clean energy and supporting economic growth in Antigua and Barbuda. The project, featuring a hybrid solar PV plant connected to a battery, is capable of fully meeting the island’s daytime energy demand, reducing diesel consumption and cutting carbon dioxide emissions.

The UAE-CREF initiative aims to deploy renewable energy projects across 16 Caribbean countries in three cycles, with successful projects already launched in the Bahamas, Barbados, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. This initiative not only reduces energy costs and increases access to clean energy but also enhances climate resilience in the region.