Minister commissions $30M T&TEC mobile substations

SEETA PERSAD

In keeping with Government’s 2030 vision, Minister of Public Utilities Robert Le Hunte commissioned ten mobile substations at a cost of $30 million.

Le Hunte said the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) based its decision to acquire these substations on the fact that the electrical power grid in TT was primarily an overhead line system. He said, “This makes it vulnerable to disruptions in supply caused by severe weather such as storms and hurricanes.”

He said T&TEC had been able to identify the use of the mobile substation as a suitable and viable relief measure.

Financed under the Public Sector Investment Programme (PSIP), the units will enable T&TEC to respond to disruptions in the power supply in the event of natural disasters. The mobile substations are designed as containerised units, comprising of a generator, complete with step-up transformer, circuit breaker and fuel storage, and are mounted trailers so that they could be mobilised and transported.

This, to ensure rapid deployment whenever necessary.

The units facilitate quick set-up time since they are made to be operational within an hour after arrival on site. The areas of Brasso Seco, Blanchisseuse and Biche have already benefited from the mobile substation.

After the passing of tropical storm Bret, the unit was on site to provide electricity to schools and businesses in these areas within a couple hours.

In an attempt to ensure that the new resources were equitably distributed, South Trinidad will be assigned three units while one would be available in Central, two in Tobago and two in North and East Trinidad.

Le Hunte also said the initiatives implemented by T&TEC that received PSIP funding include: the public lighting of parks and recreational spaces; the financing of of bulk power projects designed to facilitate the expansion of generating capacity; the replacement of ageing infrastructure and electrification.