Pier Park to Get Major Solar System
The BVI Ports Authority, working with the BVI Electricity Corporation, will install a large solar photovoltaic system on the roofs of the Cyril B. Romney Tortola Pier Park. The project, announced by Pier Park CEO Vance M. Lewis, responds to cruise lines’ growing demand for greener operations and will generate electricity for the facility.
Romney Tortola Pier Park is set to receive a significant solar photovoltaic installation, the park’s chief executive officer has confirmed. The initiative is being led by the BVI Ports Authority in collaboration with the BVI Electricity Corporation and was discussed by Vance M. Lewis on a recent episode of Portside Conversations. “Cruise lines now want to do greener things.
In concert with that, and in keeping with that, what we're doing is, we're doing a major solar photovoltaic project,” Lewis said, describing the plan to mount solar cells on the roofs of the pier park to generate electricity for the facility. The Pier Park, a prominent open-air shopping, dining and entertainment centre located at the cruise ship terminal in Road Town, will be among the most visible public-facing sites to adopt renewable energy at scale in the territory.
While project details such as system size, expected output, cost and installation timeline have not yet been released, the partnership between the Ports Authority and the BVI Electricity Corporation signals an organised approach to integrating the system with local electricity infrastructure.
For BVI residents, the move offers several potential benefits. A rooftop photovoltaic system can reduce the park’s reliance on grid-supplied power—often generated from imported fossil fuels—help lower operating costs for businesses at the park and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from port activities.
The project also aligns with a wider global trend in the cruise industry toward environmental responsibility and could make the Tortola terminal more attractive to environmentally conscious cruise lines. Officials have not yet confirmed whether the installation will include battery storage or whether excess generation could be exported to the local grid.
Those technical and regulatory details will determine how much the system improves resilience during storms or power outages, and how it contributes to territory-wide energy goals. Residents and business owners interested in progress updates are advised to monitor announcements from the BVI Ports Authority and the BVI Electricity Corporation.
The initial report of the project appeared on Virgin Islands News Online, which covered Lewis’s interview on Portside Conversations.
Primary source: VINO