The Tribune

By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

The Bahamas Electricity Corporation (BEC) was yesterday accused of wasting money on generation maintenance, paying $10 million per overhaul to outside contractors when it could be done cheaper internally.

Paul Maynard, the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union’s (BEWU) president, blamed Burmeister & Wain Scandinavian Contractor (BWSC), the company that services the corporation’s turbines, for continual generation problems.

 He said: “BEC is continually having problems with Clifton Pier. The engines are old. They [BWSC] charge upwards of $10 million for an overhaul. It’s much cheaper for our guys to do the overhaul themselves.

“This company has been doing work for BEC for over 20 years now and the engines keep breaking down. We have to work in order to keep them going despite the nonsense they are doing. “

Mr Maynard said BEC “needs to convert to natural gas and do it now”, arguing that the cash-strapped Corporation’s overtime budget be cut if it had the right equipment.

“The only thing that can work at BEC is if we change the equipment and change the fuel. Once that is done we will be fine. All this business with Bunker C is foolishness. We need to go natural gas and do it now. It’s as simple as that,” said Mr Maynard.

He added that although global oil prices have seen a massive decline, BEC and its consumers were not receiving any benefit from this due to the Corporation’s $130 million debt to its supplier, Shell West.

“Because we owe them money they aren’t giving us any savings no matter what,” Mr Maynard said.

“We need to get ourselves in a better situation. We need to come out of the diesel and the Bunker C business. We need to do that and get into the natural gas.

“If we get the right equipment we wouldn’t have to worry about overtime.  The workers can’t just show up and say I want to work some overtime today. What we need to do is go into a situation where we can get a company in here that can do it properly.”    

Mr Maynard said the union was set to meet with Prime Minister Perry Christie over the BEC restructuring within the next week.

As to what may come as a result of that meeting, Mr Maynard would only say: “I can tell you no one is is going to put 500 people out of work in this country, not a government entity.”