BELCO: ‘Working To Diagnose & Fix The Issues’
BELCO advised that contractors installed new equipment at the North Power Station, with the company noting they have been working “to diagnose and fix the issues to ensure the plant operates as efficiently and cleanly as possible.”
A spokesperson said, “Bermuda Electric Light Company Limited [BELCO] today advised that engineering contractor Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor [BWSC] and engine manufacturers MAN have completed work installing new equipment at the recently commissioned North Power Station.
“BWSC was engaged to make necessary adjustments to the operation of the NPS engines, as there have been a few incidents which resulted in soot being dispersed in the neighbourhood adjacent to the North Power Station.
“BELCO’s investigation revealed that a build-up of residue from the initial commissioning of the engines was emitted through the exhaust stack when one of the engines was restarted following a shut-down for servicing. Further testing revealed issues during start-up and shutdown operations.
“BWSC has now completed work to modify the engines to optimise their performance. Testing of the engine refinements to measure the effectiveness will take place during the next six weeks.
“BELCO’s dedicated Occupational Health Safety and Environment team [OHSE] will be monitoring the testing and will take any action necessary to mitigate any issues that may arise as a result.
“Property owners who believe they may have been affected by emissions from the plant can email BELCO’s OHSE office at ohse@belco.bm or call 299 2802 and provide their property address, name and contact number.”
BELCO President Dennis Pimentel said: “Building a brand-new power station is an incredibly complex project and we did experience some negative issues commissioning the new plant. Let me again apologise to the area residents who were affected during this process.
“Our dedicated staff at BELCO, in conjunction with contractors BWSC, have been working tirelessly to diagnose and fix the issues to ensure the plant operates as efficiently and cleanly as possible.
“I would like to thank the area residents and all customers across the island for their patience and understanding as we work to ensure reliable, safe and clean energy for Bermuda.”
