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The “rotating” power outages implemented by EDF due to the shutdown of the two main generators at the Public power plant are expected to continue for about three more weeks. Emergency generators are scheduled to be delivered to Saint Barth before this weekend.
Since Tuesday, October 20, the island of Saint Barthélemy has been living with power outages. Or, more precisely, to the frequency of the “rotating” power outages implemented by EDF. This situation is the result of the simultaneous unavailability of the two main generating units at the Public power plant: the G7 and the G8. These two “generators” have a combined production capacity of 8 MW. Therefore, to prevent a widespread outage—a “blackout”—EDF is carrying out scheduled, rotating power cuts across nearly the entire island.
A Generator Unit to Be Dismantled
Emma Dahomay Thibaudier, deputy regional director of EDF Archipel Guadeloupe, offers some insight into the current situation, which is expected to continue until mid-November. “The G8 is undergoing major scheduled maintenance, which takes place every 68,000 hours. This is required by regulation. We had postponed its maintenance slightly this summer due to other issues with other generators (JSB 1677). Unfortunately, the G7, which had just completed its maintenance, encountered an unexpected issue. This will require us to take everything apart again to diagnose the problem and make repairs. We’ll know more on Thursday about how long the repairs on the G7 will take. Naturally, our generation capacity is reduced. With two 8-MW units unavailable, and a peak demand at Saint-Barh of approximately 23.6 MW, this means we’re short by 4 to 5 MW.”
For now, the public power plant is therefore operating on its six old engines—installed between 1988 and 1997, each with a maximum capacity of 3.1 MW—as well as on temporary generators provided by Aggreko. However, additional power generation equipment will be shipped from Saint Martin and Guadeloupe before the end of the week.
“They won’t eliminate the need for load shedding, but they will reduce the number of customers without power,” warns Emma Dahomay Thibaudier. “We’re working with the Territorial Collectivity to find locations for them.” ” In fact, in an online post, President Xavier Lédée mentions “the installation of mobile generators in certain neighborhoods,” without specifying which ones. This is an important detail because, as the deputy regional director of EDF points out, one of the challenges with these installations will be managing the noise from these temporary generators. “For on-site backup generators, we’re looking into whether we can run them at a higher RPM,” she explains. “That’s another option we’re currently exploring.”
Reducing Energy Consumption
At the same time, while praising the efforts of the EDF teams in Saint Barth, Emma Dahomay Thibaudier announced the arrival of reinforcements from Saint Martin and Guadeloupe. As for activating the temporary power-limiting mechanism—the same one that was tested last June (JSB 1667 and 1669)— the executive emphasized that this cannot be done without the assistance of the French company Enedis, which has the necessary tools and technology. “We are not self-sufficient in this area,” she insisted. “This system isn’t yet fully operational, and we can’t activate it on short notice because we’re still in the testing phase.” Furthermore, Emma Dahomay Thibaudier points out: “Temporary power curtailment is something that’s imposed on us. We can also limit our consumption voluntarily. Because every little bit counts. Especially in Saint-Barthélemy. Air conditioning and pool pumps are the two major areas where usage should be limited. If everyone makes an effort, we’ll see the results on the graph.”
For the record, the Territorial Collectivity has jurisdiction over energy matters. This entails responsibility for the island’s energy policy. For now, emergency measures will be implemented to alleviate the current crisis. Nevertheless, as Emma Dahomay Thibaudier points out—and as Regional Director Marie-Line Bassette noted last May and September in JSB 1677— the overall strain on electricity production in Saint-Barthélemy will persist until the new EDF power plant becomes operational. This is due in particular to a steady increase in consumption, at a rate of about 2% per year.
Anger, spoiled food, and resourcefulness: the crisis as seen by consumers
“This is unacceptable! We’ve had babies in the heat for four hours,” Zora exclaims on the Facebook page
“EDF in Saint-Barthélemy.” Faced with the major power outage affecting the island, users’ reactions are flooding social media. Under the utility’s posts, comments reflect intense exasperation and very real concerns.
Preserving food is the top concern for households. “What are we going to do with the food in our freezers? It already costs an arm and a leg to begin with—this is getting awful,” warns Ludivine. Jérémy highlights the double whammy amid this regional supply crisis: “It would have been wise to give plenty of advance notice, because the supermarkets are already empty due to the strike in Guadeloupe—if on top of that we lose the little food we paid a fortune for because of your repeated power outages, it’s getting really complicated, frankly!”
The unpredictability and lack of foresight are just as frustrating. “The schedules aren’t being followed—the outages are happening an hour earlier than planned,” complains Sylvie.
Bérénice and Magali are calling for a “clear schedule” covering several days, while Calou is trying to figure out whether the power cuts are “for the day or for the week.”
To reduce the strain on the power grid, internet users are proposing solutions. Jayne suggests a targeted approach: “The solution: turn off the air conditioners in unoccupied homes for a few hours each day.”
Mahé Stakelborough, president of the restaurant owners’ association: “This is absurd”
As most of the island’s restaurants are reopening, power outages—whether rotating or not—are causing numerous difficulties. Mahé Stakelborough, president of the restaurant owners’ association, describes the situation as “catastrophic.” He says, “We can’t start a season like this.” Three weeks of intermittent power outages. Restaurants closing at 9 p.m. because they have no electricity, or those that don’t open at all because they know they won’t have power from 6 to 9 p.m.—this is unacceptable. Are we a third-world country? It’s absurd. We’re the quintessential island, yet we don’t have electricity?”
Mahé Stakelborough confirms: “This is very serious. All restaurant owners are worried. We had very promising prospects for the start of the season—even for this weekend—and now we’re left in the dark. Instead of making a living and paying our bills, we’re going to lose money. So it’s very complicated.” For the president of the restaurant owners’ association, ending up in such a situation is “incomprehensible.” He explains: “Local EDF workers went on strike (in December 2022) to warn that there would be problems, but no one listened. As a result, everyone is now in a bind. The elected officials are very nice, but we had the water problem in June, then the electricity problem, and now here we go again.”
“We can’t go on like this”
Faced with this situation, Mahé Stakelborough says the restaurant owners’ association will take action. “I’ve consulted a lawyer,” he says. “The association will decide whether to sue the Collectivité, EDF, or both—it doesn’t matter—to seek compensation. We can’t go on like this—putting in the effort to open great restaurants on the island only to have the infrastructure fail to keep up. It’s not possible. And it’s the same for the residents. They tell you the power will be back on at 6 p.m., but in the end it’s 8 p.m. or 9 p.m.—it’s as poorly organized as can be.”
He mentions the losses that business owners are already facing. “If the power goes out in the middle of a service, the refrigerators aren’t at the right temperature. We’ve had to throw away food. Last night (Tuesday), I sent a bailiff to two restaurants to confirm that they were closed at 9 p.m. in the middle of a service. Another called me to say they’d also had to throw away food due to the power outage overnight. We’re trying to find solutions, but we can’t open without refrigerators or range hoods… We have standards to meet, and without electricity, that’s not possible.”
Le Sella, Le Bonito, Le Café, Nikki Beach, La Petite Plage, Bagatelle, and others are reopening this week. “But everyone will have to close again if there’s no electricity,” Mahé Stakelborough grumbles. “It’s damaging for us, but also for our suppliers. If we’re not selling food, we won’t be buying any more. So for them, it’s a total loss, too. The island’s entire economic chain is spiraling out of control. Everyone is affected. We know what operating costs are like in Saint-Barth—this is going to hurt.”
