VINLEC discusses new power plant project with residents on Bequia

Senior management of the St. Vincent Electricity Services Limited (VINLEC), initiated dialogue with residents of Bequia on Saturday, March 23, 2024, to address questions about plans to build a new, modern power plant on the island.

The meeting also served as a forum to disseminate the findings and recommendations from a recently completed Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), that will positively influence the project and assist in alleviating public concerns.

VINLEC’s CEO, Dr. Vaughn Lewis said he was grateful for the opportunity to dialogue with residents as “we are all custodians of the system and it is very important that it works well for all of us”.

A VINLEC release states that the Bequia Expansion Project (BEP) will see the construction of a new power plant in Ocar, Bequia. The new plant will sit adjacent to the existing power station and the project also includes the construction of a separate administrative building, new generators for the plant and a 1500kW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).

The inclusion of the BESS allows VINLEC to facilitate the installation of more private PV systems at homes and businesses in Bequia. It also allows the Company to run their generators on the island more efficiently and should also improve the reliability of the network on the island.

Dr. Lewis assured residents that the Company will continue to engage local stakeholders as it constructs the new power station and take steps to minimize the disruption to all, using the recommendations from the recently conducted Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA).

Environmental Consultant, Dr. Reynold Murray conducted the ESIA between February and March 2024. In his final report, Dr. Murray recommended improving drainage and to have grease traps around the new power station. He made further recommendations for specially designed exhaust stacks to counteract air pollution and to make provisions that will allow for noise levels to remain at internationally acceptable level.

He explained that data gathered from residents “allow stakeholders to feed into the project” and “that would influence the decision that they (VINLEC) make in step three of the project” which is to finalize the design. The project is being executed under the joint venture management of local consulting firms- the Reputable Consultancy Services Limited (RCSL), and Island Engineering Consulting (IEC).