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BVIEC suffers total system shutdown

The Pockwood Pond power plant suffered a total system shutdown today, March 20, 2017 affecting the islands of Tortola, Virgin Gorda and Jost van Dyke. Photo: VINO/File
POCKWOOD POND, Tortola, VI- The islands of Tortola, Jost van Dyke and Virgin Gorda have suffered power outage due to a system shutdown at the Pockwood Pond power plant today, March 20, 2017.

Officials from BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC) could not be reached but, according to a post on the company’s official Facebook page, the power failure occurred just around noon.

“Good afternoon everyone, at approximately 12:06pm we suffered a total system shutdown, cause of outage is still being investigated. Our team is working to restore the power as quickly as possible. We apologise for any inconvenience caused,” the Facebook post read.

At 3:22 PM power had not yet been restored.

The state owned BVI Electricity Corporation (BVIEC) recently invested millions of dollars to purchase generators to improve on the system.

36 Responses to “BVIEC suffers total system shutdown”

  • ABC (20/03/2017, 15:30) Like (17) Dislike (3) Reply
    Whats new here
    • NezRez (20/03/2017, 20:51) Like (11) Dislike (0) Reply
      Why don't electricity have a recording to inform people who call that the power is off and don't know when it will be back on, instead of not answering? That makes too much sense I guess.
  • wow (20/03/2017, 16:03) Like (47) Dislike (5) Reply
    the bvi has a third world infrastructure and it is a disgrace
    • Thing to talk (20/03/2017, 18:34) Like (2) Dislike (21) Reply
      What do u expect we ain't in the first world idiot. So expect third world s#!t
  • DEF (20/03/2017, 16:03) Like (27) Dislike (1) Reply
    as long as the tourists keep pouring in and don't complain - what does the bvi care?
  • vgman (20/03/2017, 16:04) Like (27) Dislike (6) Reply
    vg needs it own power plant
  • paradise (20/03/2017, 16:29) Like (18) Dislike (6) Reply
    We live in paradise. Nobody forget that...
  • Busineessman (20/03/2017, 16:51) Like (22) Dislike (5) Reply
    Incompetence ....
  • Listen!! (20/03/2017, 16:53) Like (5) Dislike (0) Reply
    ya'll hurry get it back on please, thank you
  • smdh (20/03/2017, 16:54) Like (16) Dislike (25) Reply
    Everybody quick to complain buddy. Yes it is an inconvenience but things happen. God forbid you all had to live in the US in the winter and electricity had to go and you have electric heat you would bawl bloody murder. Yeah I know we not in the US.
    • In the us (20/03/2017, 18:38) Like (0) Dislike (4) Reply
      @smdh that doesn't happen in US! If it doesn't it's rare!
    • @ smdh (20/03/2017, 19:55) Like (11) Dislike (2) Reply
      @ smdh. Are u saying that it's a good thing that the power goes out almost every day? We the people of the BVI, including your kiss a$$ self are paying too much $$$ for service, and aren't getting it. That's why EVERYBODY QUICK TO COMPLAIN BUDDY. Maybe they should just turn off ONLY YOUR CURRENT ALONE, then we'll see how quick you'll complain also.
    • K (21/03/2017, 08:41) Like (0) Dislike (1) Reply
      Well until then we will complain....why are you talking about somewhere else, we are talking about the small BVI.
    • K (21/03/2017, 08:41) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
      Well until then we will complain....why are you talking about somewhere else, we are talking about the small BVI.
  • fast fast (20/03/2017, 16:55) Like (16) Dislike (2) Reply
    boy we need that cabinet reshuffle
  • Ya me born (20/03/2017, 17:11) Like (16) Dislike (0) Reply
    I totally agree with that person who says VG should get it's own power plant..would avoid a lot of grief for sure
  • Reality check (20/03/2017, 17:21) Like (26) Dislike (3) Reply
    There's millions of people on this planet living in plywood shacks with raw sewage running past their front doors who have a more reliable electricity supply than we do here.
    • @really check. Bull F. (20/03/2017, 18:00) Like (9) Dislike (0) Reply
      Those millions of people didn't spend a hundred million to get electricity..and can't get it. .
  • lord o. (20/03/2017, 17:56) Like (14) Dislike (0) Reply
    All this money on generators.. What we get, block out for 6 hrs. Reminds me if been in Santo Domingo..People need to be held responsible for tax payers money .. We need to know what really and truly happened..No lies.
  • voter (20/03/2017, 18:10) Like (13) Dislike (0) Reply
    Sorry but it is very hard to have any sympathy for the people affected here. Next election they will make the same mistakes
  • wize up (20/03/2017, 18:13) Like (1) Dislike (0) Reply
    how often does this happens
  • ace (20/03/2017, 18:26) Like (4) Dislike (3) Reply

    When it coming back on?? People need to bathe, iron, cook, etc.. A bunch of kids to get to feed, bathe and put to bed. What the help is this sh**??!!

  • Political Observer (PO) (20/03/2017, 18:54) Like (11) Dislike (0) Reply
    The service delivery of utility services, ie, water, power, sewage......etc is of such poor quality and unreliable that even when there is valid reason for the outages it is a tough sell. Was the cause of the shutdown in the generation, transmission or distribution system? BVIEC? MCW needs to demand an investigation into the total system shutdown. And it should not take a 6 for a 9.

    Why is BVIEC having so many problems with reliability, shortages, stabiliity, voltage regulation.....etc, given that it is a small, uncomplicated system that serve only a few thousand residential, business and industrial customers?

    The BVI has to shed this Third World image. Is the problem money, equipment, operational capability, maintenance, system management, training... ...,etc? Too much money has been spent by successive givernments to be still having major blackouts and brownouts. No service in the VI seem to be well functioning. Struups!
  • CGB resident (20/03/2017, 19:37) Like (25) Dislike (1) Reply
    And we need a longer runway?????? Really we need the BASICS, electricity, water sewage disposal
  • Snoop (20/03/2017, 19:51) Like (10) Dislike (21) Reply
    look people stop commenting and crying out just for a few hours stop get real?
  • jeez (20/03/2017, 21:31) Like (0) Dislike (15) Reply
    People getting soft. Cry about every little thing. Suck it up. You'll survive to piss and moan again tomorrow.
  • bojan (20/03/2017, 22:01) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    I HAVE A REAL PROBLEM WITH ELECTRICTY SOME MONTHS AGO THEY SAY THEY WERE DOING MAINTENACE TO AVOID THIS TYPE OF FROBLEM HAD WE WITH OUT CURRENT HOURS AND HOURS TREW THE NIGHT HAD YTOU SLEEPING WITH YOUR DOORS AND WINDOWS OPEN TO GET AIR MOSQUITOES BIGHTING THE HELL OUT OF YOU NOW THIS.EVERY THING GOING WRONG WHERE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ARE INVESTED.
  • Anegada Here I Come (20/03/2017, 23:16) Like (10) Dislike (0) Reply
    In times like this don't you just wish you were on Anegada... lol..

    While we cry on the main land their light always on and their water always running...

    I agree VG needs its own plant .. and its needs two sub stations one in the east and one in the west.. so that pockwood pond does not have that heavy load on its back..
  • yea (20/03/2017, 23:23) Like (7) Dislike (0) Reply
    Most of them that works there get the job because of who know them and not what the work they can do
  • power guy (21/03/2017, 04:05) Like (14) Dislike (0) Reply
    What we have here is a simple case of the workers not knowing how to run the equipment.
    There is not ONE worker at the BVIEC with a NBIC accreditation.
    I know because I looked online at the registration site!
    We can invest all the money we want on new equipment but if nobody is qualified to inspect it then it does us no good.
  • Hmm (21/03/2017, 08:55) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    People try not to eat anything that got defrosted yesterday! As far as meats go, especially poultry. PLEASE!
  • Don't Care (21/03/2017, 11:56) Like (2) Dislike (0) Reply
    BVI govt people all on standby generators and have the "let them eat cake" attitude. They are too arrogant, proud and stubborn to understand that technology needs trained persons and that they need to learn how to operate and maintain the infrastructure. They do not give a ratsa$$ that their ineptitude not only inconveniences people but it damages TVs, stereos, fridges, stoves, dishwashers that then need fixing or replacing, as I have had to do. And, no a surge protector does not work, because it is a problem associated with brown outs. And, it is illegal to be off the grid. Strupes...
  • Currently no current (21/03/2017, 23:19) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply
    Why do we install British-made generators? Why don't we get the same ones as in Puerto Rico? Flying over expert technicians and parts wouldn't take three weeks then. The technicians who installed the Rolls Royce generators that were the same as the ones for Mali (the poorest country in the world) back in about 2000 said that the workers at BVIEC were great went it came to fixing things but didn't like doing mainentance at all. I don't know if it is still true. I do know that before now I can't get through at night to report anything. Once when we had sparks from the pole we had to drive down to town to tell them.


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