A car parking area at the National Sports Centre will be used to generate power.

A planning department file said the planned “carport” solar array would be installed over a car parking area at the stadium.

There would be 1,498 solar panels, each capable of generating 505W – a total capacity of 756kW.

The project would also include the construction of an electrical room to house auxiliary equipment.

Craig Tyrrell, the senior vice-president and operations manager at the stadium, said all the major equipment for the project had been ordered and was on its way to Bermuda.

He added: “The last container is scheduled to arrive in Bermuda the first week in February, but I trust that you can appreciate that all schedules are subject to changes due to current global shipping bottlenecks.

“If all goes to the current plan, civil works are due to start on the solar canopy during the second week in January and commissioning of the system is expected by the end of the first quarter in 2022.”

The $3.2-million contract to install the energy-saving micro-grid system was awarded to Atlantic Energy Solutions Group in May – almost three years after the company was first given a letter of intent by the Government to take on the project.

Ernest Peets, the Minister of Youth, Culture and Sport, said earlier this month that the development was “positive news” and would help to slash energy costs at the centre.

Dr Peets added: “Ultimately this project will eliminate the approximately $600,000 spent annually on electricity.

“This means less taxpayer funds will be spent on electricity at the National Sports Centre while ensuring more renewable energy is generated in Bermuda.

“The project is also key to getting Bermudians back to work.”

But the project has also been the subject of controversy after The Royal Gazette revealed that the sports centre had to take out a bank loan to fund the installation.

Other documents showed that several trustees on the centre’s board had concerns about the contract.