Seaweed blamed for lengthy power outages but there’s a legacy issue
After two lengthy power outages experienced by residents this month, the BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC) has identified seaweed as the problem. But, according to the new leadership of the power company, there is also a deeper issue at play.
A brief report from the Corporation stated: “At 4:26 [on Sunday, June 4] the seawater system which supplies cooling water to 55 per cent of our diesel generators became compromised by sargassum seaweed. As such, the units which depend on this system shut down, causing a number of outages in various areas.” That power outage lasted for roughly four hours while the one on Friday, June 2, lasted for roughly seven hours.
However, the Corporation’s General Manager, Neil Smith, told ZBVI News in a recent interview that some of the challenges plaguing the entity include maintenance issues and what he described as a ‘legacy issue’.
“Well, in one case… we could have done better on maintenance and in the second case, there’s a legacy issue at the Pockwood Pond pump station — that wasn’t addressed before — that we’re addressing now,” Smith stated.
He described the legacy issue as a matter the BVIEC could have been fixed before but, for some reason, it was not. He further shared that this involved a system-wide challenge that included pipes and pumps that were part of the system.
Other issues
Smith explained that sargassum seaweed contributed to what he described as the load shedding that was experienced by customers, but noted that there were other issues at the pump station at Pockwood Pond as well.
“So, there’s room for improvement, and there’s room for a lot of improvement. But, what I wouldn’t like to do is have a conversation outside of the Corporation about why or how they could have done better,” Smith added. “But I can say and verify that there could be a lot of improvement over what we’re doing now.”
Smith said while there are always various reasons why the BVIEC may not reach the efficiencies that it needs to achieve, he felt the Corporation’s machines and other assets are in fairly good condition.
Smith, however, pointed out that there is more need for attention to maintenance of the Corporation’s assets.
“There’s work that could be done on maintaining those assets and making sure that they give us the return on investment that we put into them,” the General Manager explained. “In terms of the tools that the plants at the BVIEC have, I think that they can do what they need to do with what they have, but obviously they can be better if they have more tools.”
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Anyone with a BVIEC account could tell you that “there’s work that could be done on maintaining those assets”, and that “there’s room for a lot of improvement”. It’s been like that for 40+ years. What (if any) is the plan of action?, besides higher rates and increasing unreliability?
Individual deep water sea cooling for each of the older generators would be a start the return of chloride being doused down the intakes to stop growth in the pipes , a pigging system that works and a manifold to allow redundancy of each system.
Does he know what he is talking about? I hope the previous manager can train this one because I am not sure.
That means the useless deputy will soon be sent on a special assignment.
He speaks of problems, but will not point the problems out or indicate what the proposed fixes are.
I know he is not stupid, but he gives the impression that he knows not what he speaks off.
That was there before wasn’t doing shhht SMH
The government used to be in arrears to BVIEC. Have they paid up? If not, when will they? That money could be handy in improving power generation infrastructure.
It’s a great shame that the technical assistant offered by the UK after Irma was not accepted. They could not believe the way our electricity system is set up.
this place sometimes feels fourth world, no progress in fixing basic issues in 40 years, no vision since soutt died
where there is no vision the people will perish
Are you sure the workers were not trying quickly to resolve the issue. I see bloggers were calling on them to do what airport tower staff did
the intake pipe is on the bottom of the ocean and out to see a bit. Sargassum floats, it sinks when it is dead. So with all the wave action we are being told that the seaweed that is washed up all along the coast, which is where it goes to die, actually sank to the bottom of the ocean and shut us down for a day or more. I’m a skeptic.
Isn’t this the same Financial person who was involved with the 7M dud deal? Did he do the Due Diligence needed to smoke out the two crooks that got the money? Of course politicians don’t necessarily take advice, even if he did do some research. At any rate…
Why have we replaced someone with Engineering skills for someone with questionable financial skills? It probably doesn’t matter anyway since it seems to be true what a previous Minister of blessed memory said, he’s the Minister and doesn’t have to listen to anyone. Is that why the previous BVIEC Manager left? Tired of being told all sorts by people dumber than him till he couldn’t take it anymore?
This one went from seaweed to blaming it on the other guy. Again, that’s what we do. Blame everything on the other guy. It’s the people from down islands, it’s the previous government, it’s the other party, blah blah blah, and more blah.
ALWAYS someone or something to blame. Who’s responsible for maintaining the inlet ? -Nobody-
Why not work with the UK Govt to turn this ocean mess into alternative energy and fertilizer for farmers throughout the region.