Caye Caulker closer to being connected national electricity grid

The Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) is nearing completion of its long-term project to connect Caye Caulker to the national electricity grid. The milestone follows the installation of a submarine cable link between September 29th and October 1st in the vicinity of The Split area. The island is expected to be fully linked to the grid by the end of the year. Meanwhile, the existing generators currently supplying power to the island will be relocated to northern Caye Caulker, where they will serve as a backup system in case of a significant power outage.
BEL’s Project Lead, Jaime Vasquez, said that following the installation of the submarine cable, the company is now finalizing other components to complete the connection. At the same time, BEL is constructing a second power line to enhance further the reliability of the electricity supply to La Isla Cariñosa. The new connection will also be linked to the Ambergris Caye power line, which has been reinforced with the installation of a gas turbine. “We are working hard to ensure the power supply to Caye Caulker is better and reliable,” Vasquez said. He added that relocating the generators will also help reduce the noise pollution caused by the current units, which operate near residential areas.
Plans to connect Caye Caulker to the national grid were first revealed in March 2019, and in July 2023, BEL announced that it had acquired the submarine cable for the project. The cable measures nearly 10 miles in length and weighs approximately 900,000 pounds. The total cost of the installation and connection is estimated at $15 million.
Some residents of Caye Caulker, known locally as Hicaqueños, initially expressed concerns about the project. They pointed out that during national power outages, Caye Caulker’s independent generators have traditionally kept the island powered while the rest of the country remained without electricity. Others were concerned about Belize’s continued dependence on imported power from Mexico, noting that disruptions in Mexico’s supply often cause unplanned outages nationwide.
BEL has since reassured residents that with the existing generators remaining on the island as a backup—and the added supply from the Ambergris Caye gas turbine—the island will maintain a secure and stable power system. The company emphasized that the connection is necessary to meet the island’s growing energy demand and support future development.
The proposed connection route is divided into six sections labeled Point 1 through Point 6. Point 1 marks the existing cable landing on the west side of Ambergris Caye, where the island’s grid connects with the national grid. Point 2, the “Headline Cable,” serves as the takeoff for the new submarine cable leading to Caye Caulker. Both submarine cables—those linking Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker—pass through Point 3, located at the northern tip of Caye Caulker. The connection continues through Point 4, south of the Caye Caulker Forest Reserve, and Point 5, near The Split, where the recent installation took place. The project concludes at Point 6, BEL’s substation compound on Caye Caulker.
Upon completion, the project will provide Caye Caulker with more reliable, sustainable, and efficient power, marking a significant step in Belize’s national energy infrastructure.