More power problems at desal plant

PUBLIC Utilities Minister Robert Le Hunte says electrical problems have caused a further delay in getting the Point Lisas desalination plant back up to full capacity.

He made the comment while responding to an urgent question in the Senate yesterday.

Le Hunte recalled on December 4 he informed the Senate the water supply had been disrupted on December 3 as result of an electrical defect caused by salt-water corrosion. He said production would be increased on a phased basis and by the following day the plant would be back up to full capacity.

He said, however, as a result of additional problems the plant was only able to go back up to 30 million gallons of the 40-million capacity, and on Sunday another problem occurred which dropped capacity down to five million before it was ramped back up to 30 million.

He reported additional parts were being flown in from Finland via air freight and were scheduled to arrive Tuesday night. This was expected to increase capacity from 30 to 36 million by Tuesday night and then full capacity this Friday.

"We apologise for the problems," he said.

Opposition Senator Wade Mark asked what the additional problems were. Le Hunte explained the electrical problem due to corrosion was fixed using spare parts, but there was another electrical problem when the plant was about to be started up, and a surge of electricity caused a burnout of another part. He said this was the part that needed to be flown in from Finland.

"So they are all electrical-related, but as one was fixed, another one happened."