Old engines and stacks at Belco have been decommissioned and will be dismantled next year, the company said today.

Eight engines, some of which had been in service for half a century, and five exhaust stacks at the utility firm’s Serpentine Road plant were retired on November 30.

A company spokesman said: “Work to dismantle the engines and associated machinery is anticipated to begin next year and they will be disposed of according to best practices and in an environmentally-friendly manner.”

He added that since the end of last month, only two of Belco’s tall exhaust stacks were in use – one linked to the North Power Station and another for the East Power Station.

The spokesman said: “After retirement of the engines, Belco’s plant will include the four new engines in the North Power Station and the engines built in the later phases of the East Power Station that are still in use.

“As more large-scale renewable energy installations are added to Belco’s energy mix in the coming years, the remaining engines in the East Power Station will also be retired.”

Dennis Pimentel, the Belco president, said: “November 30 marked a milestone for the company.

“Some of the retired engines had an incredible 50 years of service and had served Bermuda well.

“The retirement also marked a turning point for the company, as we shift our focus now to renewable energy sources and work towards a sustainable energy future.”