Barbados Light & Power Company (BLPC) Asserts Readiness for Active Season with Strengthened Infrastructure

The Barbados Light & Power Company (BLPC) has reaffirmed its readiness to handle what is projected to be an active season, reinforced by meticulous preparedness measures and fortified infrastructure.

Speaking at a media briefing held at the Hampton Substation in St Phillip on Thursday, Director of Operations and lead for the hurricane response team, Johann Greaves declared: “We are ready for whatever comes.”

“We recognise that it may be a more hectic period this year, because of the number of systems that are going to come down off the Atlantic, but we must not lose sight of the fact that it only takes one system that can really devastate the entire island. So, while there may be a high number, we have to treat it just like any other year, where just one system can actually do significant damage to us,” he added. “But we are ready.”

Greaves said the utility company had taken a proactive approach in gearing up for potential weather challenges.

“We recognise that it’s likely to be, based on predictions, a more active season. What we would have done in response to that is that we would have started our preparations a lot earlier. All our major preparations were completed from as early as the beginning of May,” he said, noting that this has been the strategy for the past few seasons.

Another critical adjustment made by BLPC in recent years relates to supply chain management.

Greaves elaborated: “In the last three years, supply chain issues have become a major issue. So, whereas before we would put in our hurricane orders from around March or so of the year, we now find ourselves maybe in October of the previous year placing orders to ensure that we can have all the necessary critical equipment on site when we come to the hurricane period.”

He said the establishment of the Hampton Substation, BLPC’s latest indoor facility, demonstrated the company’s commitment to fortifying infrastructure against extreme weather conditions.

In terms of operational strategy during hurricanes, Greaves outlined the approach to restoration efforts, stressing the importance of safety during emergencies. He said various sensitisation sessions were conducted leading up to the June 1-November 30 Atlantic hurricane season.

“We share information in terms of how you can be prepared. As we come into the hurricane season then, at this point, we are basically ready to deal with any system that comes around this year,” he said.