Belize Electricity Limited

Belize is facing serious electricity-related issues threatening its economic growth and energy stability. Due to difficulties securing additional energy sources, Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) has warned that peak electrical demand is expected to exceed current generation capacity within the next year. To minimize the risk of recurring blackouts, BEL has requested the Public Utilities Commission to declare a power generation emergency following an unplanned outage that affected nearly the entire country on Tuesday, November 12th.

An electrical pole collapsed in downtown San Pedro on Sunday, September 22nd. Nearby motorists shared images of the fallen pole next to a popular supermarket. Fortunately, no one was injured in the incident, although it reportedly narrowly missed pedestrians and some vehicles. However, the incident caused power outages in some regions of the island. Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) personnel quickly responded to the incident, and residents said power was restored to some affected areas shortly after.

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.

Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) informs its Customers and the public that the San Pedro Gas Turbine (San Pedro GT) was successfully commissioned and load tested up to its rated capacity of 21 MW last week Thursday, September 5. However, the San Pedro GT is currently unavailable to supply power into the grid because of the failure (for a second time) of one of the three transformers that is needed to connect it to the grid, which occurred in the early morning of Saturday, September 7.

To build a climate-resistant community, on Monday, August 19th, the National Meteorological Service (NMS) of Belize officially inaugurated the Caye Caulker Weather Station under the leadership of the Area Representative, Honorable Andre Perez. This new infrastructure, Automatic Weather Stations, joined the many installed across the country and will enhance the monitoring of weather and climate data for residents on the Cayes. The pivotal project was made possible through US$8 million in funding from the Global Environment Facility via the World Bank. The project is called 'Energy Resilience for Climate Adaptation' and was partly co-financed by the Government of Belize.

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.

On Wednesday, July 24th, the Caribbean Association of Electric Utilities (CARILEC) released the results of its 2024 study on the rates charged by electric utilities in the Caribbean. The study showed that out of 22 regional utilities, Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) ranked fourth for the lowest charge rate compared to other regional utilities. Currently, only three regional utilities have lower prices than BEL and receive subsidies from their respective governments. 18 of the 22 utilities have higher monthly bills compared to BEL customers. Belize is proud that BEL continues offering beneficial rates for industrial and residential customers, ensuring more affordable options for consumers than other Caribbean providers.

Despite the reduction in planned power outages by the Belize Electricity Limited (BEL), the power supply remains unstable across the country. The power crisis has impacted San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, and BEL had hoped to install a mobile gas turbine by mid-June to bolster the power supply to the island. However, this plan has encountered 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 up and running as the company needs to acquire a replacement transformer for the facility. The new expected timeline for the completion of the gas turbine installation is the end of July.