BLPC: New substation benefitting thousands of customers

Some 12 000 residents across various parishes are now benefitting from the Barbados Light and Power Company’s (BLPC) latest state-of-the-art indoor facility, aimed at fortifying the island’s electricity infrastructure against tropical storms and hurricanes.

Leading a tour of the new Hampton Substation in St Phillip, which was completed last November to the tune of $3 million, Systems Engineer and Project Manager Cyprian Moore told reporters it serves customers in St Phillip, St George and some areas of Christ Church and St John. 

“It was built to ensure that in a situation where you have storms, the equipment is indoor and protected from lightning. It’s protected from precipitation so it helps us to be able to protect the power flow to the customers,” he shared. 

The substation, replacing an aged structure with a lifespan exceeding 50 years, features indoor facilities shielded from environmental hazards, a substantial improvement over its predecessor’s outdoor configuration vulnerable to wildlife and weather disruptions. 

The project manager added: “It is air-conditioned and the air-conditioning also dries the air in the substation, which allows the equipment to last even longer, because electrical equipment is prone to damage from moisture.”

He noted future plans to upgrade the substation to service additional customers. 

Systems Engineer and Project Manager Cyprian Moore. (HG)

“We are currently purchasing power transformers of a bigger capacity, and that capacity will ensure that the substation can feed many, many more customers and provide a long service to the people of Barbados for many years to come,” Moore said. 

Director of Operations at BLPC, Johann Greaves also underscored the strategic importance of such resilient infrastructure investments. He noted that Barbados is one of a few islands that have indoor substations where the critical infrastructure is not exposed to the elements.

He added that there are also customers who are fed by underground cables to ensure a reliable source of electricity during extreme weather conditions. 

Reflecting on past challenges, Greaves said, “In 2021, when we had [Hurricane] Elsa, we would have suffered the impact of some flying debris which caused a delay in our being able to restore power to customers of St Philip, Christ Church, St John, and surrounding areas. With this new substation and the fact that it’s indoor now, we have addressed a lot of the risks that existed back at that point in time.”

As the country braces for future challenges posed by climate change, Greaves noted that BLPC continues to plan and invest in projects to make the system more resilient, safeguarding communities and ensuring uninterrupted power supply during times of crisis. 

(SM)