A major new solar energy project has broken ground in Aruba.

The Sunrise Solar Park has gotten a green light for initiation, a project that will become one of the largest solar projects in the Caribbean region.

Sir Richard Branson was on hand for the ceremony, joined by Aruba Prime Minister Mike Eman, Tourism Minister Mike de Meza and President of the Board of Rocky Mountain Institute and Carbon War Room, José María Figueres, among others.

The 5.9 MW project is set on a 990,000-square-foot area in San Nicolas, with a construction time frame of eight months.

“We’re confident that in approximately 8 months the San Nicolas community and the entire island will exhibit a gem of a project,” said Francis Ras, division manager for technical affairs at WEB Aruba. “This groundbreaking is absolutely an historic event, for WEB, for San Nicolas and Aruba.”

“The solar park is going to be something that many of our youth will look up to and also be able to carry this vision for the next generation to come,” de Meza said.

The just under $9 million USD project will help Aruba in its goal of becoming 100 percent reliant on green energy by 2020.

It’s the latest undertaken by WEB Aruba, which is partnering with Spanish company ISOTRON to make the park a reality.

WEB has completed several solar photovoltaic projects on the island in recent years, highlighted by a 3.4 MW solar park at Aruba’s Reina Beatrix Airport.

“We have focused since last year to target the Caribbean zone, due to the potential in terms of solar irradiation and also due to the Aruba’s Government desires to ensure the independence, preservation of the environment and also diversify the energy resources,” said Manuel Ocariz of ISOTRON.

— Caribbean Journal staff