Jamaica: RELP and GPE extend their cooperation to deploy renewable and BESS

RELP extends its cooperation with the Government of Jamaica to launch a Second Auction Tranche

RELP and Jamaica's Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport, acting for and on behalf of the Generation Procurement Entity (GPE), announced the extension of their collaboration to design and implement a second tranche of its renewable competitive procurement process in late 2025. This significant step is a key part of Jamaica's strategic target to achieve a 50% renewable energy mix by 2030.

Following the successful award of the 100 MW first tranche in 2024, which was launched in September 2023 with RELP acting as transaction advisor, GPE and RELP extend their partnership, aiming to procure 220 MW of new renewable energy capacity and 110 MW of new storage capacity. This will mark the GPE's first undertaking of a renewable/storage procurement process.

The overall competitive bidding process, encompassing both tranches, seeks to add at least 330 MW of new renewable capacity and 110 MW of storage to Jamaica's energy landscape.
"It is an honour to sign this second agreement with RELP, supporting the work being done together with the Generation Procurement Entity. Seeing this collaboration grow and deliver tangible progress toward Jamaica’s clean energy future is deeply meaningful, not just for our institutions but for the people of Jamaica and generations to come. The Ministry remains committed to enabling partnerships that make our renewable energy goals a reality."— Mrs. Carol Palmer, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science, Energy, Telecommunications and Transport (MSETT)

As part of its extended services with a broader collaboration scope, RELP will also conduct an extensive grid characterisation study to guide the implementation path of this second tranche. This study is complementary to the long-term Integrated Resources Plan (IRP). It will have the support of Global Energy Alliance for the People and the Planet (GEAPP) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The goals of the grid characterisation study include:

• Assessing the current status of the grid.
• Identifying potential interconnection points for the interconnection of new projects.
• Determine the optimal location of the generation and storage facilities.
• Optimise the best path for integrating renewable energy and storage into the Jamaican grid, in accordance with the IRP goals.

“We are proud to continue supporting Jamaica's journey toward a more resilient energy future. Being part of its first auction since 2015 -and the first ever led by the GPE- was already a historic milestone. Now, as we join forces with them once again to design the country’s first hybrid renewables and storage procurement process, we reaffirm our strong commitment to an energy transition that drives economic development, energy security, and long-term prosperity for the people,” said Sebastian Kind, RELP’s Founder and CEO.

Moreover, RELP will be in charge of supporting the overall design and implementation of this second tranche, including a public consultation process and the drafting of the full auction document package, namely the Request for Proposal (RFP), the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) and Energy Storage Agreements (ESA), and the Licence template.

Lennox Elvy, outgoing Chairman of the GPE, underlined the importance of this initiative: “After the successful implementation of the 100 MW renewable energy first tranche, we are confident that we can succeed again with RELP as our transaction advisor for this new renewable and storage capacity auction, especially considering their building experience with BESS in the Caribbean region.

This upcoming second auction tranche underscores Jamaica's dedication to scaling up renewables and is a critical step in transforming the country's energy sector to power national development and prosperity. RELP is looking forward to continuing its firm commitment to the GPE to contribute to the success of this endeavour.

About RELP

RELP is an impact-driven and independent non-profit organisation. We focus on accelerating the deployment of renewable generation and Battery Energy Storage Systems in Emerging Markets and Developing Economies (EMDEs) by directly supporting governments in designing and implementing stable regulatory frameworks, competitive procurement processes, and new financial and credit enhancement tools, including program-based guarantees.

We focus on implementation to facilitate bankability, foster competition, and boost the local and foreign investments needed to materialise project installations, regional economic and social development, and the reduction of GHG emissions.

About GPE

The Generation Procurement Entity of Jamaica (GPE) is the national entity established by the Electricity Act 2015, having been reappointed in January 2020 by way of Cabinet Decision No. 1/20, to conduct the procurement of new generation capacity and manage the replacement of existing generation to meet the goals prescribed by the national Integrated Resource Plan (IRP).