How will the Sugar Stoppage Affect Belize’s Energy Supply?  

The full impact of the sugar production halt on farmers and the local market is still unclear, but there are growing worries about how it might affect Belize’s energy supply. Sugar production creates bagasse, a byproduct that powers the BELCOGEN plants, providing energy across the country. We reached out to BSI’s Industrial Operations Manager, Stephen Usher, for his take on these concerns.

 

Stephen Usher, Industrial Operations Manager, B.S.I.

“ We need to maintain a certain grinding rate so that we can have surplus bagasse, which is our fuel. We have been eating that out. We decided to mutually have a stop until weather conditions improve. And as William mentioned, we don’t know exactly when that will be the start up so that when we start up, we get better. With the cane, we get cleaner cane, and once we start to mill, it should be at a higher grinding rate than the two hundred tons cane per hour. Normally, we would be closer to two hundred sixty, two hundred eighty tons cane per hour. And what that will do, that will enable us to start accumulating, accumulating surplus bagasse as well. So, to answer your question right now, we have do have sufficient baggage for another startup when we start milling again after this pause that we are experiencing right now.”