San Pedro Gas Turbine Commissioned, But Power Supply Disrupted by Transformer Failure

Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) has announced the successful commissioning and load testing of the San Pedro Gas Turbine (San Pedro GT) on September 5, achieving its rated capacity of 21 MW. BEL also shared that the turbine is currently unable to supply power to the grid due to a transformer failure that occurred early on September 7.

In a press release, BEL said that the San Pedro GT was expected to be fully operational by early June. During the commissioning process, one of the three necessary transformers failed. BEL said that it acted swiftly to secure a replacement transformer, but the shipment was delayed by Hurricane Beryl’s impact on shipping routes. The replacement transformer finally arrived in the first week of August.

The replacement transformer failed shortly after installation. BEL, along with the installation contractor, is now conducting a thorough assessment to determine the cause of this failure.

BEL says that a short-term solution is already in the works. According to BEL, a new replacement transformer expected to be installed before the end of the year is being procured. In the interim, BEL says it will monitor power demand on San Pedro and implement a contingency plan to protect the single submarine cable that interconnects the island.