A new generator that is being installed to update Montserrat Utility Limited (MUL)’s power generation is now in the “testing phase”.
That’s according to Deputy Premier Samuel Joseph who spoke on the issue during his latest ‘From the Minister’s Chair’ Facebook video broadcast on 13 May.
“There are certain things that need to be done to it to incorporate it properly,” Joseph, who is also the energy minister, said.
The new generator, old generators and solar panels all have to work seamlessly together which requires a fully operational electronic control system, he explained.
Montserrat’s technicians are not trained to that level, Joseph said, which has resulted in qualified experts being brought in from overseas to get the system running.
“So, on the generation side, we will have the power being generated by the facility,” he said.
The deputy premier added that two trainees are learning technical skills which he hopes they will bring back to MUL this year.
“It does not make sense to just temporarily import technicians to fix our problem and we don’t have the resources here, so we have to train up our own in order to get that result,” he said.
However, Joseph added the power outages that much of the island is regularly experiencing are likely to continue due to a failing distribution system that has been in place for 20 years.
Natural elements such as corrosive salt from sea breezes are affecting the insulation on electricity poles and causing pole fires, he told viewers.
And as this is a problem that the government, which controls MUL, cannot afford to fix, Joseph is reaching out to the United Kingdom to offer some financial assistance.
