San Pedro Gas Turbine Commissioned, But Delays Continue Due to Transformer Issues

The San Pedro Gas Turbine which holds promise for additional energy supply in Belize is expected to be fully functional by year’s end.  The Belize Electricity Limited issued an update today, indicating that the turbine was successfully commissioned; meaning that its performance is up to par once it comes online.  There is a setback, however, as for a second time, one of the three transformers blew.  The successful commissioning of the turbine was completed last Thursday, and was left on standby in the event the submarine cables fail on the island.  Early Saturday morning, however, BEL’s monitoring system indicated that there was an issue with one of the transformers.  This has forced the company to extend its deadline to the end of the year.  Love News understands that the company is engaging with one of its consultants to remedy the situation.  A part of the delay in getting the gas turbine fit as a standby mechanism also has to do with a delay in getting the transformer in the country.  We understand that due to Hurricane Beryl the shipment had to be diverted and sat in Jamaica for several weeks, until the shipment was sent to Belize.  In its release issued, BEL reassured consumers that the works will continue and they will continue to monitor the power demand in San Pedro and will implement the contingency plan to protect the single submarine cable interconnection to the island if necessary.