Photos of Bay d’Espoir plant show icy conditions as residents prepare for possible rotating outages
As NL Hydro and Newfoundland Power officials warn of possible rotating outages, officials are now sharing photos of some of the ice conditions that have shut down the Bay d’Espoir plant.
Officials say divers are on site this weekend, who are are jumping in to holes in the ice with hand tools, to break intakes that are about 20 feet by 40 feet, with about three feet of ice in the way.
It’s the first time since 1967 that Bay D’Espoir plant has been shut down. It’s the largest generating plant on the island, and without this immense amount of supply, NL Hydro has been forced to rely heavily on its other sources.
With the cold temperatures setting in this weekend, demand has gotten even tighter. It means a ‘Power Emergency’ is possible this weekend, it would mean there is not enough power to supply customers, and rotating outages would be necessary.
