Power cuts as JPSCo suffers technical problems
TECHNICAL problems yesterday forced the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPSCo) to take three of its generating units at the Old Harbour Bay Power Station out of service, leaving several sections of the island without electricity.
The problems at Old Harbour Bay — the largest of the company’s four main power stations — left the light and power company 100 megawatts short of generating capacity, but by evening one of the affected units was returned to service, cutting the shortfall to 60 megawatts.
Winsome Callum, the JPSCo’s manager for corporate communication, said the company was able last night to provide 490 megawatts of the average peak demand of 550 megawatts.
At the same time, Callum told the Observer that although the outages over the last two days were the result of lack of sufficient available generating capacity, not all outages were due to generation shortfall.
“Power outages are caused by a number of factors, including trees coming in contact with lines during heavy winds, motor vehicle accidents, lightning or faults on the distribution lines,” she said.
The JPSCo, over the past two years, has been working at expanding its generating capacity, which includes the construction of a 120-megawatt combined cycle generating plant at its Bogue Power Station in Montego Bay.
The first phase of the new power plant was commissioned into service late last year, and now contributes 80 MW to the grid.
“The final phase of the new plant at Bogue is on schedule for the completion by early October. This phase will provide another 40 MW of electricity, bringing the total capacity of the combined cycle plant to 120 MW,” Callum said.
She said the combined cycle generating plant will be the largest on the island and will make the Bogue Power Station the JPSCo’s second largest, with a total capability of 220 MW.
“Being on the western side of the island, the new plant affords greater stability on the system, and consequently, greater reliability in the service delivered to customers,” she said.