1st batch of lease-to-own generators on their way | THE DAILY HERALD

August 28, 2024

PHILIPSBURG–The first batch of lease-to-own containerised generators have been
shipped and are on their way to St. Maarten, Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina announced
on Wednesday.
He told reporters at the live Council of Ministers press briefing that a total of twenty
20-foot containers will be coming as part of phase two of the plan to resolve the current
electricity crisis being faced by the country. The generators will be coming in three
batches. Phase one involved the renting of seven containerised generators producing
approximately 10 megawatts (MW) of power, which are currently connected to the GEBE
grid and are in operation.
“We are expecting twenty 20-foot containers to add to the grid. I have been informed by
the management of GEBE that the first batch of … the shipment of containers has already
departed. So, in total I expect that in five to six weeks from now, we would have the
majority of the twenty 20-foot containers here on the island to add to the grid,” Mercelina
explained.
He said government has a pivotal role to play in alleviating the power crisis in the
country. “The task of the government of St. Maarten is to guarantee sustainability in
energy supply for the people of St. Maarten.”
He also updated on the long-term plan to purchase three 9-10MW generators. “We are
now busy starting the official negotiations for a loan, but we are in the preliminary phase.
It has been announced by us, through me to the [Ministry of Internal Affairs and Kingdom
Relations – Ed.] BZK, for us to see if we can get a loan to purchase the three big
machines each producing approximately 9-10MW,” he said.
The three large generators will add approximately 27MW of energy to the grid, which he
said will “bring back a sound, sustainable balance between production and demand for
the energy of St. Maarten.
“We are not going to go back to the past, we are moving to the future and that means
we are going to bring back a grid balance from production and use of energy; and once we
have a good balance, parallel with that we are going to invest in the future, in renewable
energy in which solar panels will be, of course, part of the contribution of energy
production for country St. Maarten.”