BELCO: Work On Asset Retirement Project
BELCO said they have “commenced work on an Asset Retirement Project [ARP] to dispose of decommissioned assets that include generating engines and buildings.”
A spokesperson said, “The ARP planning process commenced in 2014 and will see the abatement of hazardous materials, the removal and disposal of retired assets and the demolition of buildings and structures related to the decommissioned generating assets that are no longer safe for usage.
“The ARP was established for several reasons, some of which include the increasing number of retired assets, the need for a thorough site cleanup, the safety concerns regarding the associated buildings but ultimately was driven by the future requirements of diversifying our energy generating sources.”
Director of Sustainability and Communications Krista Barnes said: “BELCO is committed to become a renewable energy company, a commitment which we recently cemented with the creation of our B100 promise – to generate electricity from 100% renewable sources.
“The decommissioning of eight engines; the installation of our more energy efficient North Power Station; the installment of our new Advanced Meter Infrastructure; the creation of our Battery Energy Storage System; the upgrades to our Transmission, Distribution and Retail infrastructure; our move to an entirely electric commercial fleet; and now the start of our Asset Retirement Project are pivotal and noteworthy moments on our sustainability journey.”
The company said, “The ARP is expected to last between one and two years and is entirely confined to the BELCO campus. Throughout this project period, contractors and BELCO staff will be working on the removal of hazardous materials, demolition of unsafe buildings, dismantling and safe disposal of materials and machines no longer in operation, along with the disentanglement of systems that need to stay in operation from those that have been decommissioned.
“In the coming weeks, the project will focus on the continuation of the cleaning out of building interiors and exteriors, the draining of oil and fluids and Asbestos Containing Material [ACM] abatement.
“Once the ACM abatement process has been completed, the project team will be moving to start demolition of the first building. Prior to demolition, the project will continue to have very little impact on the surrounding community. However, once demolition commences, you may notice the following additional disturbances:
- Demolition noise from the construction equipment, which will be mitigated by limiting work to daytime production hours only [ie. 7:00am to 4:00pm],
- Localised airbourne dust, which will be mitigated by mist mechanisms and stockpile covers,
- Increased truck traffic to remove building materials, which will be mitigated by flag men on Cemetery Road while trucks enter and exit the demolition site.
“To connect with BELCO and learn more about the ARP progress visit www.belco.bm.”
BELCO President Wayne Caines said: “As the energy industry has evolved over the past 117 years, BELCO has strived to go above and beyond in terms of safety and service to the community.
“We are committed to invest in Bermudians to evolve with the industry and we continue to institute best practices in all aspects of our operations. Everyone in Bermuda is a stakeholder on this journey and we appreciate your patience, understanding and support as we work to meet our B100 promise of becoming a renewable energy company.”
