While the FE-CGTG has suspended negotiations for ten days, awaiting a framework from the Paris management, two additional engines have been restarted during peak hours to limit the impact on users. Load shedding will therefore be very limited but can continue. How does it work, who is impacted, how are networks chosen? We answer all your questions.
It’s at the EDF Archipel Guadeloupe control center, the brain of the electricity networks, that everything happens. For several days, it’s been a real headache to distribute the available electrical energy throughout Guadeloupe.
Why, because the strike affecting EDF PEI, one of the major electricity producers on the island, is synonymous with a drop in production and consequently load shedding.
When there is not enough production, we are forced to remove a number of consumers to prevent the system from collapsing. Because if it collapses, everyone will no longer have electricity, even priority places like hospitals or SDIS services.
Marie-Line Bassette, regional director of EDF Archipel Guadeloupe
Protected from the outages are therefore the priority users. Of the 120 network departures, there are about thirty that are priority. The latter are indicated by the Prefecture and are not relieved. The FE-CGTG decided yesterday evening to start a 4th engine at the EDF PEI plant at Pointe Jarry, precisely to limit the impact on users.
Load shedding zones are chosen based on technical criteria, taking into account priority users and ensuring fairness between the different zones. The lower the production, the more rotating load shedding there is, which can therefore impact the same zone several times a day.
According to the prefecture, since Friday 8:30 p.m. no more customers have been relieved of power. Two additional engines are operating. These restarts are in addition to the three restarts carried out the day before.
However, in Gosier, around 1000 customers are currently affected by an incident on the HTA network.
The EDF-SEI teams are currently working on the ground.
