By Belize Live News: Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) has issued a statement addressing potential impacts on the energy supply during the passage of Hurricane Beryl. Currently a Category 2 hurricane, Beryl is expected to weaken before making landfall on the Yucatan Peninsula, north of Belize, within the next 24-36 hours.
BEL reassures customers that Comision Federal de Electricidad’s (CFE) transmission system, to which BEL’s grid is connected, is robust enough to withstand strong winds from a Category 2 hurricane. While past experience suggests CFE’s supply has held up well during hurricanes, BEL acknowledges that other factors like lightning, flying debris, and mudslides could cause outages.
In the event of a disruption from CFE, BEL has sufficient in-country capacity to meet peak demand. However, excessive rains could potentially affect output from bagasse-fuelled power plants, though BEL should still have enough generation capacity to meet demand even in this scenario.
BEL is particularly focused on mitigating the impacts of lightning and wind on its own transmission and distribution system. Despite preventative measures such as line clearing and securing exposed equipment, some parts of the system remain vulnerable to extreme weather.
While BEL is committed to maintaining reliable power supply throughout the storm, customers are asked for patience as efforts are made to keep the lights on. BEL has also reached out to fellow Caribbean electric utilities, offering assistance in restoring power if needed.
BEL joins all Belizeans in praying for the safety of those affected by the storm and thanks customers for their continued support.
