Chalillo Dam Water Levels Normalize, Easing Energy Concerns for Belize

Water levels at the Chalillo Dam in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve have returned to normal after running critically low in June and May. The hydroelectric dam operated by Fortis Belize had been affected by weeks of drought. The situation became concerning in June amid an energy crisis as Fortis provides a significant amount of the electricity distributed by Belize Electricity Limited. Fortunately, rains over the past weeks have refilled the reservoir. Fortis Belize Chief Executive Officer Kay Menzies provided an update yesterday.

Kay Menzies, CEO, Fortis Belize: “We’re back. We never stopped producing. I’m happy to say it never did reach the lowest level it’s ever reached. So it was low but not as low as it could have gone. We reduced productivity at one point, that productivity has climbed again. So we are producing more power from Chalillo than we were before and we are above the level, there is a level that we maintain depending on time of year, we’re well above it, about five meters above where we need to be. So from the size of the Chalillo, that’s quite a lot of water now and we’re able to supply BEL quite well when they need it. And we still have probably about six or eight meters to go, six or seven meters to go to fill up. So again, I know we have a couple of systems that might be pointing at us and if they’re there, the Chalillo has space to take them. So we’re in a good position for this time of year, I have to say.”

Fortis Belize operates the country’s three dams.