NL Hydro has divers in the water at its Bay d’Espoir hydro generating facility clearing ice and slush that has effectively shut down power generation at the plant.

Bay d’Espoir is NL Hydro’s biggest plant with seven units generating power to meet the island’s needs.

In recent days high winds and a plunge in temperature has created what’s known as frazil ice – a mixture of slush and ice – which is blocking intakes.

VP Engineering, and system operator at NL Hydro, Rob Collett, says it’s the first time they’ve encountered the problem at Bay d’Espoir.

He compares it to trying to suck a slushie up through a straw.

“We are dealing with that ice in the straw,” says Collett. “We have divers in the water right now if you can imagine on January 23rd…hacking this ice off and freeing up these intakes such that the water can start flowing to these hydro plants and we can switch these units back on.”

With Bay d’Espoir offline for the time-being, and with increased demand due to colder temperatures, NL Hydro issued a power watch for the island yesterday. Collett says they have other contingencies in place when other issues arise.

He says as an example, they had a minor trip on the Holyrood system, which has since been repaired. He says a Power Warning is issued when reserves are lower and generation reduced. “At that point we ask customers to conserve” – something that hasn’t been necessary to-date.