Blair Athol power plant completes major engine overhaul

Published by BBN Staff at May 19, 2021

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Posted: Wednesday, May 19, 2021. 6:53 pm CST.

By Aaron Humes: Blair Athol Power Company Limited (BAPCOL), a part of the Bowen & Bowen group of companies, has announced the complete overhaul of one of its three Wartsila W18V32 engines, which are drivers for the generators.

In a statement, the company claims that its generators represent a full quarter of Belize’s total power consumption (22.5 megawatts), making it an integral part of the country’s national grid.

The recent Engine 2 overhaul is a sizeable undertaking that involves cleaning and refurbishing engine parts, including eighteen-cylinder heads that weigh one ton each. The routine maintenance is done after every 12,000 hours of running time and generally takes three to four weeks to complete. The capable and dedicated team at BAPCOL ensures that this modern, reliable, and critically important Independent Power Producer (IPP) is kept in optimal conditions and ready to meet its commitments.

The plant is located on the Blair Athol Estate on the Placencia Road and was started in 2006 as power supply for the Belize Aquaculture Ltd Shrimp Farm (BAL) located in the same area. It has transitioned from an operations and maintenance contract with Finnish company Wartsila to a full local work force and status as an official IPP responsible for hot standby plant for Belize Electricity Ltd. (BEL) and “black-start” or jump-start the national grid if there is a total system collapse. It also helps stabilize conditions, ensures a reliable and secure national grid for Belizeans, and minimizes power outages in the southern part of the country.

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