PM Briceño Says Battery Storage Project Was Stalled for Nearly Three Years

Prime Minister John Briceño says Belize needs international partners to move faster on energy projects as the country works to increase electricity supply and reduce its reliance on diesel generation.  During meetings in Bangkok, Thailand, the Prime Minister raised delays that he says have held back investments needed to strengthen the national grid. Speaking with Love News, Briceño pointed to a battery storage project that, according to him, was stalled for almost three years after concerns were raised about the proposed site.  He said funders were told the land was an iguana sanctuary and was occupied by a squatter. Briceño maintains that the information was incorrect and that resolving the issue took far too long.  

John Briceño, Prime Minister of Belize: “As you know, we’ve been working with the World Bank for a loan of over $50 million to be able to set up a battery bank for energy where we hope to be able to have approximately 40 megawatts of energy. That project, again, was held back because, again, faceless bureaucrats in Washington heard something about a person saying that the land that we’re going to use in San Pedro was an iguana sanctuary and this person was saying now that he was a squatter and because of that now that project has been kept up about two years. So when I sat down and I started to talk to them and explained what has happened they were really embarrassed about the whole issue and I said that’s why it’s so important for you to come on ground. If we would have gotten that project on time we would not have the crisis we are presently facing because then we would be able to buy energy from Mexico at two o’clock, three  o’clock in the morning when they have excess energy, load up the batteries and then at night when we need we’ll be able to be able to supply Belize. So that is another issue which we believe managed to settle that but at the same time trying to find ways on how we could become completely self-sustainable when it comes to the issue of energy and especially trying to find renewable sources of energy, sunlight, solar, water, or where we can do some expansion. So we believe that we’re on our way there and I know that for citizens we can’t do it fast enough but we are doing as best as we can.”

Briceño said those implementation delays were among the concerns he took directly to international partners during the World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings. He also stressed the importance of expanding renewable energy, including solar, as Belize works toward a more dependable electricity supply.