BEL’s San Pedro Gas Turbine Project Delayed Due to Transformer Failure

Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) was banking on the Gas Turbine Project in San Pedro to assist with meeting local energy demand. The company was hoping to have the turbine online by the middle of June, but there have been some delays.  Love News understands that there has been a delay in the project. During commissioning, there was a failure of one of the transformers used to connect the gas turbine to the grid. Working with the installer to source a replacement transformer has caused the project to miss its original schedule of being brought online by the end of May to early June. The delay will affect the company’s ability to respond to shocks to the system, such as load shedding by Mexico. The company explained that the delay in the commissioning of the gas turbine means that BEL will have to continue to monitor the power demand in San Pedro during peak demand hours and take precautionary measures where necessary to protect the submarine cable until the San Pedro Gas Turbine is brought online.  According to BEL, once completed, the facility will add twenty megawatts of firm backup generation capacity to the grid.