Prime Minister the Most Hon. Dr. Hubert Minnis issued the following statement today on the state of power generation in New Providence:
On Tuesday, the Cabinet met with executives and board members of Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) to discuss the unacceptable state of power generation on New Providence.
Over the last several months, BPL has had to engage in prolonged periods of load shedding, due to a decaying generation fleet that has presented challenges to power generation in New Providence for decades.
I am deeply unhappy that our families are suffering. I fully understand that Bahamians and residents want clear and immediate action.
I want to assure you that the Government is committed to doing whatever is necessary to alleviate this problem, including further additional measures.
The frustration and inconvenience experienced by Bahamians and residents, in homes and in businesses throughout New Providence is simply unacceptable.
We are doing all we can to fix this problem long-term, and to ensure that Bahamians and residents receive the consistent power supply that they deserve.
Work has already begun on a 132-megawatt power plant in New Providence as a part of that long-term solution.
In the short-term, BPL is currently carrying out a plan to mitigate its shortfall in generation. It is expected to provide relief to residents as soon as possible.
In support, an additional nine megawatts of power from Aggreko units are expected to be returned to service.
Further, a six-man team of specialists from Philadelphia Gear is here on New Providence. The team has started working with the intention of returning an additional 20 megawatts of power to service at the Baillou Hill Power Plant.
For context, BPL’s peak demand is 250 megawatts and is currently experiencing a 40 megawatt shortfall.
BPL will notify the public as additional generating capacity is operational.
