Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority Generation and Battery Storage Project Advances

April 20, 2023

by Paul Ciampoli
APPA News Director
April 20, 2023

The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority recently provided an update on the Randolph Harley Power Plant New Generation Project, which includes the installation of four 9-megawatt Wartsila generators and a 9 MW battery energy storage system.

BESS, a key component of the Wartsila project that will aid in fortifying and creating additional redundancy for the Authority’s electrical grid, is now in the process of being integrated into the RHPP system.

The Wartsila project, which began in 2021 will be a major contributor towards providing more affordable and reliable power generation to the territory — specifically the Randolph Harley Power Plant, Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority said.

The plant currently provides electrical generation to the island of St. Thomas, as well as Water Island and St. John by using underwater electrical cables that run for miles to distribute electricity.

The Wartsila generators feature state-of-the-art technology that enables them to operate efficiently, providing notable cost savings and with much less environmental impact than their diesel counterparts which will benefit the entire territory, the Authority said.

The Randolph Harley New Generation Project is completely funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.