VINLEC to Decommission Cumberland 3 Hydropower Station

Kingstown, St. Vincent – St. Vincent Electricity Services Limited (VINLEC) will decommission the pipeline serving the Cumberland 3 Hydropower Station and shut down the station’s generators effective 30th September 2025. 

Cumberland 3, commissioned in 1986, is one of three stations in the cascade system operated by VINLEC in the Spring Village area. It is the power station visible from the main road. The decision follows engineering assessments and community engagement that considered safety, social and environmental factors, as well as the feasibility of alternative pipeline routes. 

“Cumberland 3 has served the country for nearly four decades. However, there are now homes that have been constructed much closer to the wood-stave pipeline that serves Cumberland 3 than when it was originally constructed and this potentially presents a danger to occupants of those homes in the event of a catastrophic pipeline failure, which could be caused by a variety of reasons” Dr. Vaughn Lewis, VINLEC’s Chief Executive Officer said. 

In addition to residents’ safety, social and environmental considerations were also raised by community members, who noted that water diversion for power generation significantly reduces river flow in the dry season and affects the use of the river for washing and recreation. 

Decommissioning Cumberland 3, which accounts for less than 2% of the VINLEC’s total electricity output, will not affect the reliability of electricity supply. Operations will continue at the two other hydro-stations in the Cumberland system, Cumberland 1 and Cumberland 2, which produce