APUA awaits audited report on Wadadli Power Plant

The Electricity Manager at Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA), Andre Matthias said that a final report of an audit on the Wadadli Power Plant (WPP), will determine the next course of action for the under-performing facility at Crabb’s Peninsula.
He said the technical assessment was conducted in six weeks by the German company, Damex, in collaboration with WinPower.
“If the professionals indicate it will cost too much to fix this plant then we will have to look at additional generation. Or they might say fix three units of the plant and the cost might be nothing much,” Matthias explained.
He said a firm decision will be made this week, with APUA moving to expedite whatever has been agreed to.
The Chinese-built-and- funded Wadadli Power plant has been plagued by several operational challenges since it came on line in 2011, with the now Antigua & Barbuda Labour Party administration calling for a commission of inquiry when it was in opposition.
This is not the first time that Damex/WinPower has conducted an audit of the WPP. During the 2016 Budget, Prime Minister Gaston Browne had reported that a technical audit done in 2015 had indicated that the engines needed proper maintenance as per service guides. The company had also concluded that the auxiliaries were in very poor condition.
Matthias said on Monday that if APUA can get the facility to perform and perform well, it would be economically better for the country.
He is referring to the fact that APUA buys more than half of the electricity for the national grid from the privately-owned Antigua Power Company (APC).
APUA has blamed Sunday’s island-wide power outage on APC.
 
(More in today’s Daily Observer)