Guernsey Press

Morning disruption with island-wide power cut

MONDAY morning routines were brought to a halt just after 9am today, when Guernsey experienced an island-wide power cut.

Published
Customers re-enter the Alliance supermarket once the power came back after this morning's power cut. (Picture by Sophie Rabey, 25660475)

Guernsey Electricity chief executive Alan Bates said the problem was caused while work was taking place to replace a faulty part of the Channel Islands electricity grid between Guernsey and Jersey.

‘As part of the final stages of these works the subsea cable GJ1, is turned off for short periods to allow safe working adjacent to the cable,’ he said.

‘During this time, we use the generators at the power station to maintain supplies to the island, but this results in less resilience to electricity supply disruptions.

‘Unfortunately, at 9.02am on Monday 2 September we experienced an island-wide power cut. Generators at the Vale power station were quick to restore supplies and the majority of customers were restored by 9.30am.’

A spokesman confirmed that the cable was already switched off when the power cut occurred and the exact cause of the blackout was still being investigated.

Mr Bates apologised for any disruption caused to customers.

‘This event again reinforces the need for Guernsey to have a secure and reliable subsea electricity cable connection to the island,’ he said.

‘Guernsey Electricity continues to progress a second cable connection direct to France to further enhance the security of electricity supply.’

At the Alliance supermarket, shoppers were asked to vacate the store and waited in their cars for the power to return.

One shopper who approached the doors said luckily she had already done her shopping and was just returning her trolley. However, others had not been so fortunate.

One woman had returned from holiday and had come to the shop to do a big shop to restock. ‘All the traffic lights are out, they’ve said its island-wide. It’s a bit scary,’ she said.

Alison Smith had also come to do her shopping and after a short car wait was able to enter the shop when it reopened. ‘I just came from the Bridge and everything was closed but it wasn’t out for too long,’ she said.

Mrs Smith said it was her radio she noticed first as the local station did not appear to be working. Then she saw that the traffic lights were not working either.

‘It just shows you how much we rely on the electric, it just holds up your life.’

Alliance did not wish to comment.