The Gas Turbine that Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) is installing in San Pedro Town to increase power capacity has experienced another setback due to a transformer failure for the second time. Although it was successfully commissioned and load tested to its rated capacity of 21 megawatts on September 5th, BEL has stated that the gas turbine will remain offline until the failed transformer is replaced. The replacement is expected to be completed before the end of this year. In the meantime, BEL will continue to monitor the power demand in San Pedro and will implement a contingency plan to protect the single submarine cable interconnection to the island if necessary.
This means that if the power demand continues to increase in San Pedro, planned power outages may occur in certain areas of the island until the gas turbine comes online. The current submarine cable connecting San Pedro to the national grid has a capacity of 17 megawatts, which the town has already exceeded at peak times. BEL anticipates that when the gas turbine is operational, 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.
Some stakeholders have expressed concerns as the upcoming tourism season approaches, indicating an expected increase in power demand. A stable source of electricity for the country’s prime tourism destination is a priority. Many in the tourism industry hope that the transformer will be replaced before the peak of the tourism season.
The gas turbine was initially scheduled to be operational from June of this year but encountered a problem with one of the transformers. It took some time to get a replacement to Belize, and when it was tested, it failed. The transformer is still under warranty, and BEL is now working on finding and installing another replacement transformer. If there are no further failures and the gas turbine becomes operational, the island will then have over 20 megawatts of power, which is expected to meet the high-power demand in San Pedro without the need for load shedding.
In the meantime, BEL is also conducting consultations in Caye Caulker as they are looking to install a marine cable to connect that island to the national grid. The installation of a 34.5KV submarine cable is part of a project dubbed the 7th Power Project aimed at interconnecting San Pedro and Caye Caulker. Marine surveys have been taking place between the two islands to find a safe route for the submarine cable. The project is scheduled to be completed later this year.
