💧 Water and Power · U.S. Virgin Islands
WAPA said propane supply would not be affected by supplier vessel changes
The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority said on May 27, 2020, that changes by its contracted fuel supplier, Vitol, to its propane vessel fleet would not disrupt LPG availability for power generation in the territory.
WAPA said Vitol had advised that by the end of May it would replace the very large gas carrier Berge Summit, which had been used as floating storage off St. Thomas, with a smaller mid-size vessel that would be moored periodically off the island. The supplier also planned to remove one of two smaller shuttle vessels previously used to transport fuel to the power plants.
According to WAPA, the new mid-size vessel would deliver propane directly to the LPG terminal on St. Thomas, while the shuttle vessel Epic Curacao would supply the LPG terminal on St. Croix.
WAPA said the changes reflected lower propane consumption than originally projected and would not interrupt fuel access for the Estate Richmond and Randolph Harley power plants.
At the time, WAPA said about 85% of electrical service in the St. Thomas-St. John district was generated by LPG, while St. Croix was operating on 100% propane.