BVI News

No planned outages for Dorian, BVIEC has resources on hand for any storm-related issues

General Manager for the BVI Electricity Corporation, Leroy Abraham.

The BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC) has said it is adequately equipped with the resources and manpower to repair any part of if its electricity infrastructure that could be impacted by Tropical Storm Dorian.

General Manager for the BVIEC, Leroy Abraham, gave that assurance while answering questions from BVI News on the electricity company’s preparation plans ahead of the weather system passing the territory.

“If any portion of the grid is impacted … whether it means replanting poles, reinstating transformers, wires or whatever the case might be, resources will then be dispatched to rectify that portion of the grid,” Abraham stated.

No planned outages for Dorian

Abraham also said the BVIEC does not have any planned outages designed specifically for the passing of the tropical storm.

He, however, said a few areas will be experiencing outages today (August 27) due to scheduled maintenance work that was planned before the BVIEC became aware of Dorian.

Automatic shut-down system

Abraham said though there no planned outages in relation to the tropical storm, the BVIEC is equipped with systems that will automatically shut down if the BVI was to experience any considerably bad weather.

“The network has a built-in system which can turn itself off. So once we see that the system is essentially cascading to a point as if the majority of it is coming off — which means it’s being impacted severely — then we ultimately take a decision to just shut the whole system down. So that totally contingent on the weather event and ultimately its impact on the electrical infrastructure of the territory.”

Most vulnerable parts of grid are overhead lines

He also confirmed to BVI News that the most vulnerable parts of the BVIEC’s electricity grid are those that are above ground.

“Most of the areas where the supply comes from overhead lines are more vulnerable than with those where the supply is underground like in the centre of town, and the financial commercial district,” Abraham told BVI News.

Tortola’s electricity plant supplies 10 other islands including sister islands of Virgin Gorda and Jost Van Dyke. Once the main grid isn’t impacted, these 10 islands should have electricity.

The island of Anegada is on an independent grid.

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8 Comments

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  1. really says:

    I hear this multiple time before. we will see.

    Like 13
    Dislike 6
  2. SMH says:

    Get those generators fuel up! Invest in Solar Energy…

    Like 3
    Dislike 1
  3. hmm says:

    well its a hurricane now, so whats the plan

  4. Hah says:

    Power is out as I type. The big surprise would have been if it actually remained on throughout the storm. I knew it would go despite what was said.

  5. Disgusted says:

    Well done BVIEC, can’t say I’m surprised. So when will power be back on?

  6. Sickening says:

    Do you guys read??? He did go on to say “The network has a built-in system which can turn itself off.” So wouldn’t common sense tell you that after winds starting picking up, the network turned itself off? It was off for under 8 hours, Y’all complain for every damn thing.

    Like 2
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