Lamberts and Castle Wind Project

The Project is a proposed wind farm in the parishes of St. Lucy and St. Peter. It aims to support the goals of the Barbados National Energy Policy, and achieving Net Zero by 2035 and is estimated to provide energy to power 12,000 to 17,000 homes.

The Project has been under development by the Barbados Light and Power Company (BLPC) for almost two decades. Originally the site was conceived as a 10-Megawatt (MW) wind farm in Lamberts. An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was completed in 2007, amended in 2010[1] and updated in 2019[2].

[1] The EIA for the Lambert East Wind Farm Generating Station is available at https://www.blpc.com.bb/images/Lamberts/Barbados_EIA_Amended__compressed.pdf?type=file

[2] The Community Briefing Document of the Updated Technical Assessment of Valued Ecosystem Components of the Lamberts East Wind Farm is available at https://www.blpc.com.bb/images/Lamberts/Community_Briefing_Document_R2_compressed.pdf?type=file

With advances in technology combined with national interest and Government’s ambitious renewable energy targets, a bigger wind farm with a capacity of up to 50 MW is being considered including Castle in St. Peter and other contiguous areas. A wind farm of this size could satisfy as much as 15% of the country’s annual electricity demand.

Studies have been conducted to advance the Project. For example, following a 12-month wind measurement campaign, the wind data collected was used to assess the wind resource in the area and conduct an energy yield assessment so that private sector developers, who will bid for the Project, can optimise the layout of the wind turbines. On the technical side, other studies, such as logistics, geotechnical, topographic, and hydrological surveys, have been completed. Initial environmental and social (E&S) studies were undertaken as well, including biodiversity baseline surveys and preliminary noise and shadow flicker modeling.

The objective of these studies was to characterize the technical, environmental and social conditions of the site and use the findings to propose an indicative design to mitigate, to the extent feasible, potential technical and E&S risks and impacts. From the E&S perspective, the winning bidder will build upon the completed studies to develop a comprehensive Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) that complies with Barbados’ national legislation and good international industry practice[1], including an Environmental Impact Statement that aligns with national requirements.

The competitive tender process was launched on November 7, 2025, with the issuance of the Request for Qualifications (RFQ). The RFQ process will prequalify bidders in accordance with criteria established by the Ministry of Energy and Business (MEB). The shortlisted (prequalified) bidders will advance to the Request for Proposal (RFP) stage, planned for late Q1 or early Q2 2026. Only the shortlisted bidders will have access to the due diligence studies through a virtual data room.

[1] Good international industry practice is defined as the exercise of professional skill, diligence, prudence, and foresight that would reasonably be expected from skilled and experienced professionals engaged in the same type of undertaking under the same or similar circumstances globally or regionally. The outcome of such exercise should be that the project employs the most appropriate technologies in the project-specific circumstances. Good international industry practice is reflected in various internationally recognized sources, including the World Bank Group Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines.

While the BLPC has historically led the Project, in November 2023, it announced that it would transition the leadership role to the MEB who will act as the procuring authority. The BLPC will continue to be a key partner of the Project.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group, is the transaction advisor to MEB and is supporting the Ministry in the Project’s development and implementation. This will be done through a competitive tender process to select a private developer that will design, build, finance, operate, and maintain the wind farm over its expected 20-year lifetime. The IFC team is complemented by national and international experts.

The Ministry is eager to scale up Barbados’ wind energy capacity to achieve Government’s renewable energy goals of Net Zero by 2035. The Project remains an essential project for the country to achieve this objective which has the potential to satisfy up to 15% of Barbados’ annual electricity demand.

This project has been structured in two phases.

Phase 1 is due diligence, which is nearly complete. This included activities such as legal, technical, environmental, and social due diligence (including on-site work), which started in April 2024. The due diligence has informed the structure and layout of the Project.

Phase 2 is the bid process, which began on November 7, 2025, and will be a two-step process: an RFQ process to shortlist bidders who meet the qualification criteria, and an RFP process to select the winning bidder.

The winning bidder will negotiate and finalize the financing, construction and operation agreements, which can take approximately 10 to 12 months. Then, construction of the project will commence, which is expected to take approximately 12 to 18 months.

This Project will generate electricity that is fed into the national grid. All utility-scale power generation (> ~1 MW) is fed into the national grid, in the same way as water from different hoses fills up a wading pool. The power generated from the Project is expected to be cheaper than power generated from the fossil fuel plants that currently provide the island’s power. As such, the Project will help to reduce power costs for consumers over the long term.

Yes, Mr. Anderson Rollock is the Community Liaison Officer for the Project and is the main point of contact for local communities and stakeholders. He is a teacher and member of the Lamberts community; he can be reached via phone / WhatsApp at (246) 846-7840 or email at lamberts.wind@barbados.gov.bb.

The support of the community is fundamental to the success of the Project. Aside from community consultations, queries can be sent to: lamberts.wind@barbados.gov.bb. Anderson Rollock, the Project’s Community Liaison Officer, has a table in the Rockville Community Center every Tuesday and Thursday from 4.00pm to-7.00pm.

Once operational, wind farms (including wind turbines, access roads and substation) typically occupy ~2% of the total land area. Activities previously carried out on the land such as farming or grazing can therefore continue to take place following construction.

Wind energy or wind power describes the process by which wind turbines, through a generator, convert the movement of wind into electricity. See https://www.nrel.gov/research/re-wind.html

See image below, which shows the tower, nacelle and blades.

All commercial utility-scale turbines have three blades, which rotate around a central hub to drive a generator housed in the nacelle. The nacelle is the large housing at the top of the tower. It contains the generator and other important components, such as the gearbox and control equipment.

Blades are made from materials such as fiberglass, carbon fiber, and wood laminates. They are designed to international standards and can withstand the force of extremely strong winds.

The assembled tower sections sit on top of a steel-reinforced concrete foundation (see image below). The foundation is completely underground and measures up to 15 meters in diameter and 5 meters in depth.

The foundation ensures the turbine can withstand very strong winds. It is always below ground level and so cannot be seen.

A wind turbine works like a massive fan but in reverse. Instead of using electricity to make wind, wind turbines utilize the wind to generate electricity. The wind turns the turbine’s blades, which spin a shaft connected to a generator to produce electricity.

A wind measurement campaign collects wind data in a location over a certain period (at least 12 months) through sensors installed on a tall meteorological mast.

A meteorological mast is a free-standing tower which holds instruments at different heights that measure both wind speed and direction.

The final design and number of turbines will be decided by the private developer. However, it is likely that there will be between 10 to 15 turbines installed on the site.

Typically they are up to 110m tall up to the nacelle, with blades around 50-70m long. These dimensions can vary depending on the turbine model.

See an image below for height comparisons. Turbines with capacities of between 3 MW to 5 MW are being considered at this stage, although the final model will be chosen by the private developer. For comparison, the tallest building in Bridgetown is the Central Bank of Barbados/Tom Adams Financial Centre which is 50 m tall.

This graph below compares EMF levels from common household electrical devices (held at a 6-inch distance from the body) with those from a wind turbine (measured at the base). For reference, the international EMF exposure guideline published by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) is shown as the red line, at 2,000 mG.  EMF levels from wind turbines are barely detectable compared to typical household items.

Source: Measuring electromagnetic fields (EMF) around wind turbines in Canada: is there a human health concern? (2014).

Noise: Wind turbines generate noise, mainly from air flowing over and around the blades. Modern wind turbines are much quieter than older turbines, even those that were considerably smaller.  In general, the noise levels are low, consisting mainly of a “whoosh” sound as the turbines rotate (generally at around 15 to 18 revolutions per minute). Visitors to a wind project can often stand under a wind turbine and talk to each other without raising their voices. As part of the Project’s ESIA and related noise mitigation and monitoring management plan, construction noise and operational noise will be  assessed and mitigated in line with the limits set forth in the World Bank Group (WBG) General Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines. These limits are based on the World Health Organization’s Guidelines for Community Noise and include thresholds for daytime and nighttime noise based on different types of receptors (e.g., residential or industrial).  The developer will be required to minimize noise-related impacts in the design of the Project. If the developer exceeds the established noise limits based on a required monitoring program, they will be required to implement mitigation measures, such as using low-noise blade designs (e.g., serrated edges) or reducing operations during sensitive periods (e.g., nighttime) to adhere to the noise limits.

The image below shows wind turbine noise in context, comparing it to everyday sounds like a whisper or a vacuum cleaner. Modern wind turbines produce about 35-45 dB of sound at 300 meters. This is quieter than normal conservation.

Source: US Department of Energy, https://windexchange.energy.gov/projects/sound

For details on noise and other environmental, health and safety aspects of wind power projects see WBG EHS Guidelines for Wind Energy: https://www.ifc.org/en/insights-reports/2015/publications-policy-ehs-wind-energy

Shadow flicker: Shadow flicker occurs when the sun passes behind the wind turbine and casts a shadow. As the rotor blades rotate, shadows pass over the same point causing an effect termed shadow flicker. The WBG EHS Guidelines for Wind Energy set limits for exposure to shadow flicker for potentially sensitive receptors (e.g., residential properties, workplaces, learning and/or healthcare facilities). These limits are based on good international industry practice. Shadow flicker can be minimized at certain receptors by the installation of blinds/curtains, shrubs or trees or other screening materials at affected properties. Turbines can also be programmed to automatically shut down at times necessary to avoid exceeding these limits.

Birds, bats and other biodiversity: Wind turbines can have an impact on biodiversity. Examples of impacts include bird and bat fatalities that occur due to collision with the rotating turbine blade. However, with turbine layout informed by the findings of biodiversity baseline studies  and the implementation of operational mitigation measures, this impact can be minimized.  Survey methods for baseline data collection, impact assessment and the design and implementation of the Developer’s mitigation and management programs will meet national requirements and good international industry practice.

Farming and land use: Once a wind project is constructed, its turbines, roads and associated buildings typically use 2% of the land in the total project area. The remaining land (including in between turbines) can continue to be used as before (e.g. for farming). This means that the vast majority of the land will remain available for continued production and will not result in food price increases.

Safety: There have been instances of tower collapse or blade failure, but these are very rare as turbines and towers are designed to international standards that ensure their ability to withstand extremely high winds during hurricanes and severe storms. To further ensure safety, setback areas are established around each turbine where housing and other structures cannot be built or permanently occupied. Safety issues may also arise with public access to wind turbines (e.g., unauthorized climbing of the turbine) or to the wind energy facility high voltage substation. Any public rights of way located within the Project will be identified prior to construction in an effort to ensure the safety of their users. This may include preventing access to turbine tower ladders, posting information boards about public safety hazards and emergency contact information and providing fencing and gates.

Other impacts, including visual impacts: There can be other impacts from wind farms including visual impacts associated with the surrounding landscape, increased traffic and possible road closures or adjustments during component transportation (primarily in the construction phase). For details on typical wind farm impacts and how they can be managed, see the WBG EHS Guidelines for Wind Energy: https://www.ifc.org/en/insights-reports/2015/publications-policy-ehs-wind-energy.