Bridge station has been powering island since October cable fault

Wednesday 20 February 2019

The Guernsey/Jersey electricity cable GJ1 did not come totally back online after it broke down in October last year, meaning the power station has since been generating at least two thirds of the island's electricity, it has been revealed.

This comes as Guernsey Electricity announced it will be looking to replace the cable as that is the "best course of action to return the Island to a more secure and affordable supply of electricity".

The move is no doubt related to the recent announcement that the company is currently in talks about hiking its prices - a move which will be needed to fund the project. The company said it was working with CICRA - the local regulatory authority - to "recover historic operating costs and adjust tariffs" to reflect changes in future costs, "particularly for the replacement of cables". 

Alan Bates, Chief Exec of Guernsey Electricity. 

"We have undertaken a considerable amount of work since last October, liaising closely with a number of stakeholders, including cable manufacturers, suppliers and the States of Guernsey to determine the best course of action. Having reviewed the options, we are looking to replace the cable, rather than conduct further very expensive repairs," Alan Bates, Chief Executive of Guernsey Electricity, said. 

"We were always going to replace GJ1 by 2030 so the current issue means this investment decision is being brought forward. The intention is to return to importing low carbon affordable electricity as soon as possible. This is not a change of strategy but is a change of the investment timing. Until the cable is fully operational the power station will be needed to ensure electricity security is maintained." 

Guernsey Electricity previously commented on the state of the cable in the week of 27 November, Sally-Ann David GE's Chief Operating Officer said repair work had been "completed" then and after some more testing the cable would be back online "later [that] week". 

The cable first went in October, causing an island wide power cut, but Guernsey Electricity specifically said it had been fixed in November, and was fully operational - now, it seems like it was never back to its full capacity, and the power station has been bearing the load.

Then at the start of January, the cable allegedly failed again, although it now looks as though it was never back to full capacity. The company said at the time: 

"Following the successful repair and re-energisation of the GJ1 cable between Guernsey and Jersey in November, monitoring continued to assess whether the condition of the cable was stable before returning it to full service.

"Unfortunately, this monitoring revealed a potential issue with the cable in a different location, approximately 9 kilometres offshore from Jersey.

"Further testing is necessary before we can return the cable to full service."

Currently, the power station is supposed to be the island's plan B when it comes to electricity generation, and that is not likely to change going forward. Mr Bates added that the company’s long-term aim has always been to further safeguard Guernsey’s electricity supply by progressing with a second connection, direct between Guernsey and France, together with the replacement of GJ1.

He said: "The recent failure of GJ1 reinforces the importance of securing a diverse supply of electricity for the Island and reducing our reliance on fossil fuels. However, policy direction from the States will be fundamental in defining the diversity and security of the Island’s energy supply, including renewable generation and storage.

"We want to be open with our customers. We hope that they understand that the cost of providing electricity has increased, and this cost will need to be passed on to those that use electricity today, rather than future customers."

The full cost of the replacement is not yet known. The same goes for what a direct link to France would cost. 

More to come. 

Pictured top: the power station at the Bridge.