May 27, 2020

WAPA’S ACCESS TO PROPANE SUPPLY WILL NOT BE IMPACTED BY CHANGES TO FUEL SUPPLIER’S VESSEL FLEET

      An operational change in the vessels used to supply the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority with propane fuel will not have any adverse impact on the availability and supply of LPG fuel for power generation in the territory.

      WAPA was recently advised by its contracted fuel supplier, VITOL, that by the end of May, the company would downsize the very large gas carrier which had served as floating storage and was moored off St. Thomas’ south coast.  Additionally, the company is set to demobilize one of the two smaller shuttle vessels used to transport fuel to the power plants.

      Executive Director Lawrence Kupfer said Wednesday when the charter lease for the very large gas carrier, Berge Summit, expired, the company opted to replace it with a smaller mid-size vessel which will be moored periodically off St. Thomas.  The new vessel will provide propane directly to the LPG terminal on St. Thomas while the smaller shuttle vessel, Epic Curacao, will supply fuel to the LPG terminal on St. Croix.

      “These are adjustments made by our fuel supplier to reflect the realities of lower than originally envisioned propane consumption by WAPA. I would like to reassure our customers that these changes to the fuel supply vessel fleet will not affect WAPA’s access to an uninterrupted supply of LPG for power generation at the Estate Richmond and Randolph Harley power plants,” Kupfer said.

      Today, approximately 85% of the electrical service in the St. Thomas - St. John district is generated by LPG while St. Croix is operating on 100% propane.  

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About WAPA: The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority is an autonomous agency of the Virgin Islands Government which produces and distributes electricity and drinking water to residential and commercial customers in the territory. WAPA was created by the Fifth Legislature of the Virgin Islands in 1964 through Act No. 1248. Today, WAPA generates electrical power at production plants on St. Thomas and St. Croix and distributes electrical service through smart grids to customers on St. Thomas, St. Croix, St. John, Hassel Island, and Water Island. Potable water is distributed to almost 13,000 customers through water lines and standpipes. WAPA also has the responsibility of installing and maintaining streetlights.