💧 Water and Power · St. Thomas, VI
WAPA said Wärtsilä Unit 5 was energized at Randolph Harley plant
Official document: https://www.viwapa.vi/docs/default-source/2023-pr/joint-press-release-(6.28.23)---territory-to-soon-benefit-from-completion-of-wartsila-project.pdf?sfvrsn=88c9fad6_3
The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority said on June 28, 2023, that Wärtsilä Generation Unit 5 at the Randolph Harley Power Plant on St. Thomas had been energized for the first time the previous week.
WAPA said Unit 5 was one of four new Wärtsilä generators being placed into service as part of the Randolph Harley Power Plant New Generation Project. The authority said the project also included a battery energy storage system and was scheduled for completion in August 2023.
According to the joint release, the new generators were to begin operating on diesel, with propane operation to follow. The project was funded through a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
WAPA said the new generators could operate on either propane or diesel and were about 30% more efficient than older generators, which the authority said would reduce fuel consumption and costs. The release also said the battery system would help buffer disruptions on the electric system and support grid reliability.
The joint release said the project was a $95 million federally funded CDBG-DR project.