Weeks of load shedding ahead…public urged to be patient
By Ryan Haas
Reporter-SKNVibes.com
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| Hon. Dr. Asim Martin, Minister with responsibility for Public Works, and Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, St. Kitts-Nevis Prime Minister, survey the damage to the engines |
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts-DURING a whirlwind visit to the Needsmust Power Station this morning (Oct. 3) the Prime Minister, Hon. Dr. Denzil Douglas, and gathered media were informed that more load shedding is expected as the facility will be operating at about sixty percent capacity until repairs on the damaged engines are completed.
“We believe that severe damage to one of the engines in particular and to the panel of one of the other engines still needs to be assessed to determine how quickly we would be able to undertake the repairs or replacements necessary,” Douglas said.
According to reports from staff at the power station and the Ministry of Public Works, one engine received “extensive” damage from an oil fire caused by a crank case explosion. The same oil fire damaged the control panel of a second engine, further reducing the capacity of the facility. 
It was stated that the Power Station needs approximately 24 megawatts (MW) of electricity to operate at the peak capacity times of 11 a.m. and 8 p.m.; however, with two engines down, the facility is only able to generate 14 or 15 MW. At the time of SKNVibes’ visit to the station roughly 13.4MW were being generated.
“We are of course responding immediately to the need to mobilize [generator] rental services from overseas. I understand that this may take a number of weeks,” Douglas said before adding that he was assured the appropriate plans were in motion and that soon the island would be “back up to capacity…needed to generate for peak hours.”
Adding to the troubles at the Power Station is the fact that the crane used to remove the engines for maintenance and repair was also “virtually destroyed”, the PM said.
When asked how long it would be before the citizens of the Federation could expect the engines to be repaired and see relief from the ‘scheduled’ load shedding, the General Manager of the Needsmust Power Station, John Channer said that the public would have to be patient.
“The time it would take to get the lesser damaged engine back online is about two weeks, but the starting time for those repairs is dependent on us getting the go ahead from our insurance company,” he said, adding that some parts for the repairs had already been obtained.
No information was available as to when the most extensively damaged engine would be repaired or replaced, though a report on the matter to the Ministry of Public Works is expected within the next seven days.
Douglas thanked the Fire & Rescue Services, the Ministry of Public Works and the staff of the Needsmust Power Station for their continued hard work on restoring services.
He also gave his condolences to the two workers who had to be admitted to, and were subsequently released from, the Joseph N. France Hospital for injuries sustained during the fire.
The general public has been asked to educate themselves on the load shedding schedule and to try to cooperate as much as possible with the Electricity Department while appreciating that “we are not at maximum capacity at this time”. ~~Adz:Right~~
