New power plant NEEDED by 2021 – BVIEC

BVIEC Chairman Ron Potter (front) and BVIEC General Manager Leroy Abraham during a tour of the upgraded power plant yesterday

By Davion Smith, BVI News Online Staff

While celebrating completion of the Phase V Development Programme at the power plant in Pockwood Pond, Ron Potter yesterday announced that a new power plant should be erected by the year 2021.

Potter, who is chairman of the BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC), explained that a new plant is required because the existing one in Pockwood Pond does not have enough space to facilitate future upgrades.

“We recently had a 10-year power development study completed which states that, for the Corporation to remain in a state of normalcy – which means adequate backup, we need to bring new capacity online by 2020 or 2021,” he said during a ceremony at the power plant which has been re-named.

“As the now Henry Wilfred ‘Freddie’ Smith Power Plant is now maxed out, we don’t have anymore space to bring new capacity online. We’d have to seek out a new site. And, as it takes three years to build a new power plant…, we need to start planning by the end of this year or by 2018,” added the BVIEC chairman.

General Manager at the BVIEC Leroy Abraham described the move as a necessity for the Territory.

“We need a new power station soon. Not want, we need one,” he underscored.

The two BVIEC heads were speaking yesterday (May 4) at the renaming and handing-over ceremony of the Phase V Power Development Programme at the Pockwood Pond-based power plant.

The programme, which was done at a cost of approximately $50 million, saw the installation of three Wartisila power generators that have a combined capacity of 25.5 megawatts.

The project was initiated due to the frequent load shedding and power outages that plagued the Territory.

The BVIEC said the completion of Phase V means the Territory should experience a more reliable energy supply.

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