After an extended island wide outage on Tuesday, July 25, 2023, the island has been operating on a four on and four off, loadshedding programme.
In the latest joint statement from Governor Sarah Tucker, Premier Joseph Farrell and Deputy Premier Dr. Samuel Joseph, it was revealed that two engineers are currently on island supporting Montserrat Utilities Ltd. with the restoration of continued power.
The statement said that “everyone is working at pace within the capacity that we have. MUL has confirmed that Mr. Fyzoodeen Abdool of Kelly Tractors Inc., a Caterpillar Dealership in Miami, Florida USA, will arrive on Montserrat this week on the afternoon of Thursday 27 July, to bring parts and support on the repairs for #6 Generator.
“Mr. Sean Hartley from BVI is supporting MUL with #3 Generator with good progress. A further engineer from Miami has arrived and is supporting the Glendon Hospital and Water pumping generators,” said the release.
It is hoped that the load shedding schedule issued on Tuesday running a 4/4 change, will help to alleviate challenges with smaller generators running for long periods and allow officials time to plan.
The statement also said the officials have “reviewed the longer-term need to build resilience into the power grid and this is now being discussed with the FCDO, who has put together a team to support Montserrat, accessing expertise across utilities, resourcing and logistics.”
Another issue which arose over the past two days was the low water levels in various areas. Montserrat’s water supplies are stored in tanks across the island. In the North, some communities were without water for extended periods of time on Monday and Tuesday because the generators were not functioning and able to pump water to the tanks.
“The generator at the Belham Water Station has been replaced but challenges remain. We are monitoring water stocks closely and reiterate the request to minimise usage for the next few days where possible. We recognise the need to ensure we have a longer-term solution for these key areas and so will be talking this critical time as an opportunity to scope out clearly the requirements that will ensure stability for the future,” the statement explained.
“We recognise that the work we are doing may not be visible, but please be assured that everyone involved is working together for Montserrat. We would like to especially recognise the team at MUL for their continued dedication. The NAC (National Advisory Council) will meet again tomorrow after Cabinet,” the statement ended.
