Sections of Canouan and Mayreau Could Get Electricity Soon
KINGSTOWN, ST. Vincent – Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves says electricity should be restored on certain sections of Canouan and Mayreau within the next two weeks, as efforts continue to deal with the aftermath of the damage caused by the powerful Hurricane Beryl on July 1.
Hurricane damage on the Grenadine island of CanouanGonsalves said that he had been given the assurance by the chief executive officer of the St. Vincent Electricity Services Limited (VINLEC), Vaughn Lewis, adding that it could take a further 10 weeks for electricity to be restored in some parts of Union Island.
But the prime minister said that while electricity would be available in certain areas, it might not be connected to buildings in light of the damage caused by the category 4 storm, which damaged or destroyed 95 per cent of buildings in the Southern Grenadines.
“Because the inspectorate will not connect the buildings until the buildings are in order to be connected,” Gonsalves said, adding “the electricity company can’t do a hook-up until the building is inspected. Of course, that would facilitate a number of private people beginning themselves with their own roofs and so on.”
Gonsalves said the government has to be in a position where it can “give a little assistance,” noting that “of course, there are some people we have to start from scratch because they can’t help themselves”.
He said that rebuilding after the hurricane is going to require “hundreds of millions of dollars”.
Gonsalves, who along with his colleagues from Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Kitts-Nevis and the Premier of the Cayman Islands, toured the affected areas, said that on Union Island, where the power station is badly damaged, assessments are being done to repair the station.
He said that the pace at which this will be done will be dependent on how much assistance and from a technical standpoint they get from the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC).
“Fortunately, we have a replacement generator up here in St. Vincent that we can send down; deal with one of the damaged ones — a 350 kilowatt,” Gonsalves said, adding that generators can power substantial parts of Union Island.
“So, what is going to happen, once they have repaired the building and installed this new generator there and if they repair the generator to the extent of the damage there, you still have to put up the poles and you got to run the lines and then you have transformers.”
He said that one of the problems is that transformers are in scarce supply in the global market.
“There are some transformers which we ordered in 2000 and in 2021, they’re coming next week. The lead time on transformers is very, very long.”
Gonsalves said the government has to try to source transformers from non-traditional sources.
“Colombia and there’s even talk of trying to see if you get some from China — ones which we have not been using. But these are technical things which VINLEC will decide. But they’re conscious of the need for quick movement but it is achievable,” Gonsalves said, adding that it is important that the government gets smaller generators to Union Island while the grid is restored “to be able to do certain things with certain facilities and for persons to be able to charge their phones.”
The government is also considering solar lights in the interim as well as beefing up the Electrical Inspectorate.
“I’ve asked the inspectorate, given the houses which are to be done and the spread, we’re probably going to need about another 50 persons who have the skills. People who are retired, not only retired from the inspectorate, but private electricians who are not necessarily doing work now,” the prime minister said.
“Plus, retired people from VINLEC who could have the skills so that you can do inspections. Because what you don’t want is you build houses, electricity is available but you don’t have enough members in the Electrical Inspectorate to inspect the hoses so that you can get the electricity,” Gonsalves said.
