Paul Maynard
By AVA TURNQUEST
Tribune Chief Reporter
aturnquest@tribunemedia.net
THE emergency fix by a US specialist team will have little impact on Bahamas Power and Light's load shedding, according to Paul Maynard, the Bahamas Electrical Workers Union's (BEWU) president.
However, Mr Maynard acknowledged the return of an additional 20 megawatts of power - which the American team is working on at the Baillou Hills Power Plant - will help.
"Who am I to question the prime minister?" he said yesterday. "It is what it is. That ain't gonna solve the problem but it will help. You gotta help it some way."
In a statement on Wednesday night, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis announced a six-man team of specialists from Philadelphia Gear was on the ground working to restore additional power to the Baillou Hills plant as he lamented BPL's unacceptable power cuts.
Yesterday, Mr Maynard explained the specialists were working on the gearbox of engine G7.
An attempt to return engine G10 to service failed on Wednesday night, according to Mr Maynard, who said the machine could supply 21 megawatts of power. Another downed machine, G5, has an output of two megawatts but will take months to repair, he said.
Mr Maynard explained it was critical to bring more machines online so that other machines could be taken offline for sorely needed maintenance. He said engine G9 had the capacity for 20 megawatts but was currently only producing around 10 megawatts due to lack of maintenance.
Mr Maynard believes the company's decision to direct all its financing towards the $95m Wartsila acquisition left it "unable to meet maintenance goals". That new power plant is expected to be finished by December.
The outspoken union chief maintained the energy monopoly's management and board has under-estimated the generation capacity required for summer.
BPL's peak demand is 250 megawatts and is currently experiencing a 40 megawatt shortfall.
The company began daily load shedding on June 19, but frequent power cuts were an issue even before that time.
In his Wednesday statement, Dr Minnis revealed that BPL officials briefed Cabinet on a short-term plan to provide relief to residents and businesses. That plan also includes returning to service an additional nine megawatts of power from BPL's Aggreko units, he said.
Comments
TheMadHatter 5 years, 4 months ago
"...Maynard believes the company's decision to direct all its financing towards the $95m Wartsila acquisition left it "unable to meet maintenance goals".
.... and im sure he is doing everything in his power to prove his point.
themessenger 5 years, 4 months ago
Why does the Tribune even give this ass the time of day? He contributes nothing to the solution or the conversation except more negative comment and attitude when he's hardly qualified to change a light bulb himself. The little bit of sense he had must of been knocked out of him when his Union brothers beat the snot out of him all those years ago. Please sit down and shut up, you and your henchmen Have been and still are a big part of the problem at BPL!
moncurcool 5 years, 4 months ago
Ditto!!!
SP 5 years, 4 months ago
Maynard is the epitome of a useless PLP stooge!
ted4bz 5 years, 4 months ago
This is an experiment on us. This will end when they have achieved they (our master the US) objectives. The leaderships can keep cooking up what they like, but none of it adds up, it’s obvious they are not in charge they are following orders.
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 4 months ago
Paul Maynard is making our dimwitted PM Minnis look like a complete and utter fool.....and it's amazing how little effort Maynard needs to expend to achieve that result. LMAO
lobsta 5 years, 4 months ago
Sabotaging the power supply as promised in March... can't have no stinkin' foreigners fix the problem!
DDK 5 years, 4 months ago
"The outspoken union chief maintained the energy monopoly's management and board has under-estimated the generation capacity required for summer."
Think many underestimated the lengths to which this thug and his goons would go to cripple our country in the name of power. Why is he still walking around mouthing off?
shonkai 5 years, 4 months ago
Is this the new official spokesperson for BPL? How many people actually work there? shouldn't the well being of 260.000 people weigh heavier than the couple hundred union members?
TheMadHatter 5 years, 4 months ago
Im going to censor my own comment here. Everyone knows the truth anyway. Keep dsncing on July 10th.
Well_mudda_take_sic 5 years, 4 months ago
Truth be told, our dimwitted PM (Minnis) and his Minister of National Security (Dames) are afraid of what Paul Maynard and his goon squad of saboteurs will do to them if they try crackdown on the sabotaging and other illegal activities of certain radical members of the union.
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