Despite the reduced planned power outages for San Pedro, Ambergris Caye by Belize Electricity Limited (BEL), the power supply remains unstable across the country. To avoid a power crisis on Ambergris Caye, BEL planned to install a mobile gas turbine by mid-June to bolster the power supply of the fast-growing island municipality. However, this plan encountered some setbacks due to the failure of one of the transformers connecting the gas turbine to the national grid. As a result, residents are informed that there will be a delay in getting the gas turbine online. The new expected timeline for the completion of the gas turbine installation is now at the end of August.
The previous timeline was at the end of July. An official note from BEL stated that the replacement transformer for the gas turbine is on its way to the country. When it arrives and is transported to Ambergris Caye, the gas turbine will be brought online within a few days after installation. Until then, BEL said they will have to continue monitoring the power consumption on the island during peak demand hours. It is necessary to take precautions to protect the current only submarine cable connecting Ambergris Caye to the national grid. When the demand exceeds the cable’s capacity, certain areas of the island experience power outages to balance the supply.
The electricity demand was significantly higher than usual during the Belize International Music and Food Festival held on July 27th and 28th. BEL asked islanders to help them manage the increased demand by turning off lights and appliances when not in use, plugging out chargers from outlets when not in use, setting air conditioning to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, washing full loads of laundry, and checking on other house appliances like refrigerators’ doors were sealed. This message is also shared during other times when the demand becomes higher than usual. BEL said this is to ease the strain on the submarine cable, which currently has a maximum capacity of 17 Megawatts (MW).
The electricity company explained that once the gas turbine is up and running, it will add 20 MW of firm backup generation capacity to the grid. It will also supplement the submarine interconnection from the mainland, which has been under constant strain due to the ongoing high demands for power from the island.
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