The Tribune

By FAY SIMMONS

Tribune Business Reporter

jsimmons@tribunemedia.net

Bahamas Power & Light (BPL) finally restored service to North Eleuthera last night after the area suffered a more than 34-hour power outage due to generation failures at the Hatchet Bay Power Station.

The state-owned utility, in a statement, said technicians were able to restore electricity supply at 9:22 pm last night. It explained that the problems, which began around 11am on Sunday, were due to a “switchgear failure” at Hatchet Bay Power Station that required a “highly complex” repair.

“BPL sincerely apologises to our North Eleuthera customers who were without power for more than 30 hours following a major system failure at the Hatchet Bay Power Station,” BPL said. “The extended outage was caused by a switchgear failure that required a highly complex operation, including cabling and reconfiguration, to distribute power from the Hatchet Bay Power Station.

“Sunday’s system failure and the subsequent challenges are an extraordinary circumstance as the company remains committed to providing safe and reliable power across the entire country.” The outage was initially island-wide but, while power was restored to South Eleuthera, technicians discovered “major switch gear damage” that required senior engineers to be flown to the island from New Providence.

“Once the team attempted to re-energise its north feeder (out of the Hatchet Bay Power Station), they discovered major switch gear damage. The extent of the damage required expertise from New Providence and a senior engineer was flown into North Eleuthera on Sunday evening to assist the local team with completing repairs and restoring service,” said BPL.

Aldred Albury, a resident of North Eleuthera, released a statement on social media yesterday on the “profound inconvenience and the multitude of challenges” caused by the long power outage.

He said: “This outage has led to a significant water supply disruption, as without electricity our pumping systems and water treatment facilities are incapacitated. The repercussions of this outage are severe and widespread.

“Our educational institutions have had no choice but to close their doors, affecting the education of our youth and placing an unexpected burden on parents and guardians. Local businesses, the cornerstone of our local economy, have been hit hard by this interruption, suffering losses that may have long-term repercussions on their viability and on our community’s economic health.”

Mr Albury called for BPL to “expedite” its efforts to restore service in North Eleuthera and produce an “actionable plan” to prevent future extended power outages.

He said: “We call upon BPL and all responsible authorities for the restoration of our utilities, and to provide a comprehensive report on the causes of this outage. We demand a clear, actionable plan to prevent such extensive disruptions in the future.

“In moments as trying as these, the strength of our community is tested. It is crucial that we support each other, but it is equally vital that our utility services and their governing bodies fulfil their responsibilities to ensure the stability and well-being of our society.”