As the island’s electrical power situation stabilises, government is turning their focus towards building Montserrat’s medium-term resilience leading up to the arrival of a new generator in November 2023.
In the final joint statement for the week, officials noted that “power has remained stable for the last 24 hours, and the temporary fix in place is currently holding. Engineers continue to work on number six generator, with the aim of increasing the capacity at Brades Power Station. All businesses and homes should now be back on grid.”
The statement from Governor Sarah Tucker. Premier Joseph Farrell and Deputy Premier Dr. Samuel Joseph, thanked all the offices and businesses which continued on generator power to reduce the pressure over the past week.
The British Government is said to be providing expertise to work with local counterparts early next week to scope our essential needs. “This means they will set out the requirements to enable power resilience for Montserrat in the medium term and ahead of the new Medium speed GENSET coming on line. They will also review the power resilience needed for water.”
“We have moved to our second phase, to establish the wider resilience. It is essential we get this in place, before we move to working on a longer-term strategic review. We continue to work closely with the UKG, to identify resources and specialist assistance, and express our thanks to that cross government team for its continued support,” it read.
Load shedding has been paused but it may be necessary to return this if required, the officials noted. Everyone is asked to plan accordingly, including food provisions and storage.
WATER
The Foreign & Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO) has despatched purification tablets as a precautionary measure, said the statement. This current water storage is still being replenished but everyone is reminded to be conscientious about their water usage.
The statement said that officials will continue to meet daily and review the situation, and provide updates when there is more information to share.
