💧 Water and Power · U.S. Virgin Islands
WAPA said repairs and equipment problems reduced generation on St. Thomas and St. John
Official document: https://www.viwapa.vi/docs/default-source/2023-pr/press-release-(7.15.24)-wapaexplanation-of-recent-outages-on-st.-thomas-and-st.-john.pdf?sfvrsn=70e986b13
The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority said on July 15, 2024, that recent scheduled rotational outages in the St. Thomas-St. John district were tied to repairs and other incidents that reduced generation capacity at the Randolph Harley Power Plant.
WAPA said repairs on Unit 23 reduced available generation after workers found multiple fractures, cracks and other damage in the fuel system. The authority said the fuel system had to be isolated, drained and assessed for safety before repairs could begin, extending the outage that started on Monday, July 8, 2024.
WAPA also said Unit 27 unexpectedly tripped on Tuesday, July 9, 2024, causing a temporary outage in the late afternoon that lasted about two hours.
The authority said outside events, including vehicle collisions with poles and wildlife interference, can also cause outages. After a district-wide outage, WAPA said its standard procedure is to disconnect the plant from the grid until transmission and distribution feeders are open and isolated for repairs.
WAPA said repairs had been completed and the Randolph Harley plant was being returned to normal operating condition. Standby generation that had been used to cover the shortfall was to be gradually shut down and returned to standby mode.