Residents are to petition Government against plans by Belco to build two new power stations in Pembroke.

The electricity company yesterday released a statement, saying it has applied for Planning permission to construct the first of two new plants at its Serpentine Road site.

The eight-phase development is scheduled to take place over 23 years at a cost of $200 million, and will involve the closure of Cemetery Road for a minimum of nine years.

The proposed North and South Power Stations will add another three emissions stacks to the skyline, although Belco last night insisted they would be taller than the present stacks of the East Power Station to further minimise pollution.

The initial Planning phase involves the demolition of fuel storage tanks on the north side of Cemetery Road to make way for the North Power Station. The plant itself consists of two 14 megawatt (MW) medium speed diesel engines and one stack.

If approved, construction is scheduled to start next summer with completion by 2011, when Belco must meet a deadline of providing another 28 megawatts of power on top of its current 165, to meet a projected 1.5 percent annual increase in demand.

Belco last week held a meeting with residents to unveil the plans before being published in the Official Gazette. More than 60 Pembroke residents met with Belco President and CEO Vince Ingham, but pledged to organise a petition to fight the proposals.

One resident, who did not wish to be named, said last night: "We are upset at the late notice we have received and we absolutely don't want this expansion at all. We are already fed up with the soot, noise and pollution from the current plant. Enough is enough."

The woman, who is in her sixties, said residents would petition Government to stop the power stations from going ahead.

"People were upset at the meeting," she said. "We feel Belco should get together with Government to find another location."

Another householder said: "Vince Ingham wanted to present Belco's plans for the supply of electrical power to meet Bermuda's increasing demand over the next 20 years. Admirable, except that Belco had already submitted their fully detailed construction plans to Government.

"Those plans include building a new power plant immediately across the road from Berkeley Institute, erecting three more smoke stacks and closing off Cemetery Road, a well used and convenient route for many of us.

"Those in attendance were united in their belief that local residents have suffered enough from living next door to the only power generation source in Bermuda."

The man, who wished to remain anonymous, said people already had concerns about "air and water quality on health".

"Local residents suffer from continuous noise, odour, soot and particulate debris on our roofs and in our tanks, smoke on the higher properties and vibration at the lower and closer ones," he said. "Belco do help some residents, on their terms, but nothing stops the pollution.

"All residents are well aware of the Nimby syndrome and the challenges that could be faced by Belco in other areas, but carefully selected sites at Morgan's Point and Southside that used the prevailing winds, would ensure that others would not be inflicted with what we have to endure continuously."

Belco spokeswoman Linda Smith last night admitted that Pembroke residents had "legitimate concerns".

"We have been looking at other locations," she said. "But this will always be the central power plant because of the infrastructure. At smaller locations we could incorporate new technology such as combined heat plants, which have smaller footprints.

"These smaller units would ease the burden, but at the moment there are no locations available and we have to go out to tender if we have to make the 2011 deadline, as there's a lot of competition out there for manufacture of engines and power plants. "By now and 2011 we need to add 28 megawatts — if we do not there will be no spare capacity."

Ms Smith added: "We will manage pollution by plant design, low sulphur fuel and through high stacks, so the emissions go higher."

In a statement yesterday, Belco said: "The new power station is required in order to meet the projected demand for electricity expected by 2011.

As the Belco site is heavily congested, and no other location has been identified for future power plant development, the Planning application outlines a phased development and redevelop program that allows for the most efficient use of the Serpentine Road site through 2030."

To facilitate construction, Belco is asking the Ministry of Works and Engineering to permanently close Cemetery Road from the Animal and Garden House to Cemetery Lane.

Ms Smith said: "The closure, which would not affect the Cemetery, is being requested in the interest of power plant security, public safety and safety of Belco employees. In any event, the actual power plant construction planned between 2008 and 2030 will require that Cemetery Road is closed for a minimum aggregate period of 9.25 years."

The company is planning to build the South Power Station, with its two diesel engines, on the site of its oldest facility — the West Power Station, after 2020.