BEL, Ministry of Public Utilities, Energy, and Logistics launch ‘Lait Up Belize’ rural electrification project

Published by BBNTEAM at November 4, 2021

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Posted: Thursday, November 4, 2021. 6:47 pm CST.

By Rubén Morales Iglesias: Belize Electricity Limited (BTL) and the Ministry of Public Utilities, Energy and Logistics today launched the ‘Lait Up Belize’ rural electrification project as part of the series of month-long activities during Energy Month which is being observed under the Caribbean Community ‘s (CARICOM) theme: “From Dependence to Resilience: Fuelling our recovery with Sustainable Energy.”

Lait Up Belize, which seeks to electrify remote villages that are outside the BEL electric grid, is implemented through a collaboration between BEL and Belize Energy Unit. The project is funded by the European Union (EU) at a value of 5 million Euros or BZ$10.6 million and is to provide solar energy for rural communities and households in Belize that do not yet have access to electricity.

Although 90% of Belize’s population has access to a reliable source of electricity, 2,300 households or 13,000 people representing 36 villages across the country do not have access to modern forms of energy. The EU agreed to grant BEL funds for the design, construction, and operation of solar-powered mini-grid/off-grid systems for rural electrification of villages without electricity in the remotest parts of Belize.

A Government of Belize Press Office release on October 5 said the communities that should be electrified under Lait Up Belize are rural villages of the Toledo District where the extension of the national electricity grid is still deficient due to the remoteness and low population of the region.

Just recently, BEL engineers were in Indian Creek, Boom Creek, Dolores, Machakil-Ha, and Otoxha as part of the ongoing initiatives to expand service, enhance the quality of life and support national development, said the BEL.

The Energy Unit with the technical support of the LAIT UP BELIZE Project is also conducting a pilot initiative to improve the energy efficiency in a number of public buildings including the NEMO, Curl Thompson, and others. The objective of the pilot activities in the public buildings is for it to later be applied to all public and private buildings in Belize.

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