No more blackouts, says B.E.L.

According to B.E.L. the cycle of blackouts that has been plaguing the Cayo, Stann Creek and Belize Districts is over. A company press release issued today says the grid is back to full power, following the installation of two imported portable generating units at the Ladyville Plant. Three weeks ago the company’s generating capacity was severely interrupted when one of the three point five-megawatt machines at its Magazine Road Plant malfunctioned and shut down. A smaller unit also went down shortly after and the problem was further compounded by the seasonal water shortage at the Mollejon Hydro Station. B.E.L. tried to ease the problem by asking some of its big customers to turn on their own standby generators but while that move helped a bit, it wasn’t enough, and B.E.L. was forced to implement daily five hour blackouts. B.E.L. says that with the new units now up and running, it does not anticipate any more problems, as within a month or so anticipated rains will bring Mollejon up to full power. By this time next year electricity purchased from Mexico under the Power Two Project should virtually eliminate any reliance on the diesel generators.