About LUCELEC
Our History
From dozens of scattered generating sets in 1964 to one national grid, a public listing, and a solar farm in the south.
1964
How the Company was formed
LUCELEC was established under the commercial code in 1964 and granted an exclusive licence by Ordinance No. 27 of 1964, later replaced by the Electricity Supply Act No. 10 of 1994. At its inception it was owned by three entities: the Government of Saint Lucia, the Castries City Council and the Commonwealth Development Corporation.
Shareholders today
- EMERA (St. Lucia) Limited
- 20%
- First Citizens Bank Ltd.
- 20%
- National Insurance Corporation
- 20%
- Castries Constituencies Council
- 15.50%
- Government of Saint Lucia
- 10.05%
- Individual shareholders
- 14.45%
LUCELEC’s shares are traded on the Eastern Caribbean Securities Exchange.
Sixty years
How we got here
The eras the Company names for itself, with the photographs that survive from each.
- 1964
Beginnings
The formation of the company in 1964 saw the creation of a unified and centrally managed source of power from the dozens of disparate and small facilities scattered around the island. This allowed for the expansion of facilities island-wide, as well as the opportunity to rationalize operating costs.
The Union Power Station, an early LUCELEC generating plant in the north of Saint Lucia. - 1970s
Exploding Demand
The 1970s saw the company facing an explosion in the demand for power as hotel development and banana production transformed the economy. Average demand grew by almost 30%, a doubling of capacity every three years, putting huge strains on manpower and equipment resources. Two new power stations were commissioned and the basic, and still existing, 11kV sub-transmission system was erected.
A new engine for the Union Power Station about to be transported from the docks. - 1980s
Home-grown Talent
By the early 1980s it was evident that the company was entering a new milieu and there was a need for better trained persons to cope with an increasingly technological environment. The company initiated a highly successful craft apprenticeship programme and began the recruitment of graduate staff for all senior positions. By the end of the 1980s the company was virtually self sufficient in all but the most specialised needs.
LUCELEC's vehicles have come a long way since this bucket-equipped Land Rover was in its heyday. - 1990
New Generation
In 1990, a new generating and transmission system was commissioned which redefined the standards the company had previously applied to all its operations. Cul de Sac power station inaugurated an era of highly professional and efficient operations leading to the development of new standards through the company. A 66 kV transmission system was introduced allowing the more efficient flow of power around the island.
Construction of the new power plant at Cul de Sac. - 1994
Private to Public
LUCELEC went public in 1994. Profitability and shareholder value became new words in the vocabulary of operations. The new motto was excellence and profitability in operations.
- 2018
Solar Energy
In 2018, LUCELEC opened its 3MW solar farm in La Tourney, Vieux-Fort. The solar farm builds on the work LUCELEC has been doing with grid-tied roof top solar PV systems since 2009. It meets about 5% of St. Lucia’s electricity demand and reduces the volume of fuel purchased by LUCELEC by about 300 thousand gallons per year. Its nearly 15 thousand panels generate approximately 7 million kWhs of electricity per year.
The Cul De Sac Power Station as it stands today.
More about LUCELEC
The rest of the Company
- Who We AreMission, vision and values
- Operations & NetworkDepartments, power station, substations, solar
- Our SBP2035 StrategyBecoming a full-service energy company
- SustainabilityEnvironment, renewables and the UN SDGs
- LeadershipBoard and Company Officers
- CareersWorking at LUCELEC
- TendersRFPs, RFQs and how to bid