DOE Backs Puerto Rico's Turn to Solar After Beryl's Damage

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--As Puerto Rico struggles to recover from Hurricane Beryl's devastation, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is lending a hand with a loan guarantee of up to $861.3 million for a pair of solar-power projects and a pair of standalone battery energy-storage systems (BESS) on the southern side of the island territory. The two projects are among more than $3.8 billion worth of active and planned projects across Puerto Rico's Power Industry that are tracked by Industrial Info; about 70% is attributed to power-generation developments, with the remainder toward transmission and distribution (T&D).

Click on the image at right for a graph detailing active and planned projects across Puerto Rico's Power Industry, by project type.

The two DOE-backed solar projects are being developed by Clean Flexible Energy LLC, a joint venture between AES Corporation (NYSE:AES) (Arlington, Virginia) and TotalEnergies SE's (NYSE:TTE) (Courbevoie, France) U.S. subsidiary. Both were set to begin this summer and to wrap up toward the end of 2025, but it is not yet known if Beryl will delay the kickoff dates:

• the project in Salinas is expected to generate 120 megawatts (MW) from its solar plant and store up to 100 MW in its BESS unit
• the project in Guayama is expected to generate 100 MW from its solar plant and store up to 80 MW in its BESS unit

"The co-location of the new solar and battery resources will help maximize the project's energy production and improve grid stability. Battery storage will allow the project to continue to provide energy to residents even during adverse weather conditions."

Both projects are part of Clean Flexible Energy's Project Marahu, a long-term plan to make Puerto Rico's energy portfolio more resilient and affordable, and entirely carbon-free by 2050. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Power Project Database can read detailed reports on the Salinas and Guayama projects.

Another energy provider is planning solar and BESS projects in the same two cities: CIRO Energy Group Incorporated (San Juan, Puerto Rico), which expects to finish construction on a solar complex in Salinas with 90 MW of generation and a 51.5-MW BESS. The company also is seeking permits for a complex in Guayama with 50 MW of generation and a 25-MW BESS. It is not yet known how Beryl may have affected these project schedules. Subscribers can read detailed reports on the Salinas and Guayama projects.

Prior to Beryl, state-owned Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority (PREPA) was underway with a series of BESS installations at existing solar-power facilities across the island. These include:

• a 104-MW BESS at the 1,655-MW complex in Aguirre; see project report
• an 80-MW BESS at the 246-MW Cambalache in Arecibo; see project report
• a 52-MW BESS at the 20-MW peaking plant in Vega Baja; see project report
• a 48-MW BESS at an 875-MW power station in San Juan; see project report
• a 40-MW BESS at the 40-MW Yabucoa Peaking Plant in Humacao; see project report
• a 40-MW BESS at the 990-MW Central Costa Sur Plant in Guayanilla; see project report
• a 30-MW BESS at the 44-MW Jobos Peaking Station in Guayama; see project report
• a 28-MW BESS at the 743-MW Palo Seco Power Station in Toa Baja; see project report
• an 8-MW BESS at the 40-MW Daguao Peaking Plant in Ceiba; see project report

On the T&D side, PREPA is considering a pair of proposed substation projects that could support stronger output on southern Puerto Rico's power grid: the new El Coqui Transmission Center and a refurbishment and modernization of the Aguirre Transmission Center, both in Salinas. The latter project initially was proposed following the devastation wrought by Hurricane Maria in 2017. Subscribers can read detailed reports on the El Coqui and Aguirre projects.

Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Project and Plant databases can click here for a full list of detailed reports for projects mentioned in this article, and click here for a full list of related plant profiles.

Subscribers can click here for a full list of reports for active and planned projects across Puerto Rico's Power Industry.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) platform helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking more than 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).