Work to demolish old generators and buildings at power firm Belco has started, the company announced.

The firm will take down buildings and remove material which is too hazardous or out-of-date to use.

Wayne Caines, Belco’s president, said the project would help overhaul the power plant as part of its commitment to be more energy efficient.

He added: “As the energy industry has evolved over the past 117 years, Belco has strived to go above and beyond in terms of safety and service to the community.

“We are committed to invest in Bermudians to evolve with the industry and we continue to institute best practices in all aspects of our operations.”

Buildings will be demolished after the interiors and exteriors are cleaned, fluids drained and asbestos removed.

Redundant machinery will be dismantled and disposed of safely.

The work at the Belco plant off Pembroke’s Serpentine Road is expected to last from one to two years.

A Belco spokesman warned the public there may be traffic disruption in the area once demolition started as trucks arrived to collect debris.

But he assured the public that demolition would only be carried out between 7am and 4pm to limit noise disturbance.

He added that stockpile covers and “mist mechanisms” will be used to reduce the level of airborne dust.

The project, which looked into the decommissioning of tools and buildings in 2014, was started as part of Belco’s plan to move away from fossil fuels.

It was also designed to tackle safety concerns and clean up around the site.

Krista Barnes, the director of sustainability and communications at Belco, said that the project was one of several steps taken towards a more sustainable industry.

She added: “Belco is committed to becoming a renewable energy company, a commitment which we recently cemented with the creation of our B100 promise – to generate electricity from 100 per cent renewable sources.”

Belco earlier decommissioned eight engines and installed the North Power Station, which was said to be more energy efficient.

The company has also built a battery energy storage system and installed advanced meters to better monitor usage by customers.

Belco is also upgrading its transmission, distribution and retail network by moving power lines underground and has pledged to replace gas and diesel-powered vehicles with electric ones.