The operation of the temporary generator which supplied the sister island of Jost Van Dyke with electricity for approximately five months reportedly cost the BVI Electricity Corporation a net loss but at no additional expense to residents.
This is according to the Minister of Communication and Works, Honourable Kye Rymer who made the disclosure in a recent address to the House of Assembly.
While acknowledging the inconveniences caused by the temporary generator, Minister Rymer emphasized the BVIEC’s commitment to fair billing. Despite the high operational costs incurred due to the use of the generator, Rymer said the rates and charges to Jost Van Dyke residents remained consistent with those charged to customers across the territory.
“Commercially as well, it has also been a net loss to the corporation. However, it must be noted that despite the high relative cost of operating the generator to provide a temporary source of electricity on Jost Van Dyke, the rates and charges to the residents have remained at the same per unit price of electricity charged to every other customer in these Beautiful Virgin Islands,” Minister Rymer stated.
The minister addressed the slight impact on fuel surcharge rates for all customers, explaining that the additional use of fuel to generate power on Jost Van Dyke affected these rates in a limited/negligible way. The changes in fuel surcharge calculation were deemed unnoticeable, given the insignificant volumes of fuel consumed relative to the territory’s total fuel consumption. Additionally, he revealed that maintenance, repair, and transportation costs were fully absorbed by the BVIEC and not transferred to customers.
Minister Rymer highlighted the driving forces behind BVIEC’s urgent efforts to repair the subsea cable and noted that with the cable now repaired, he anticipates a significant reduction in costs for supplying consistent and reliable power to Jost Van Dyke.
“Even though the materials to correct the cable fault arrived late last year, the corporation attempted to repair the cable multiple times; unfavourable sea conditions prevented them from doing so,” he said,
“The repairs on the cable required a stable platform at sea, which was not possible during the swells on the north shore of Tortola at this time of the year. I am confident that, despite the residents’ desire to see the fault repaired sooner no one would wish to see serious bodily harm or a fatality because of the Corporation conducting these repairs in adverse safety conditions,” he added.
The BVIEC successfully restored power to the entire island on February 15 after a fault occurred on September 17 to the subsea power cable which connects Jost Van Dyke to the main grid on Tortola.
Rymer expressed gratitude to the BVIEC team, led by General Manager Dr. Neil Smith, for their unwavering efforts during the period of power interruption. He said the corporation demonstrated immediate responsiveness, working tirelessly to address concerns related to the generator that supplied power island-wide.