The Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority recently advised St. Thomas motorists of a series of road closures due to the transportation of vital components of its electrical generation system. However, the road closures also provided a tangible indication of the clear road to greater efficiency and progress mapped out by the Authority.

“We have worked steadfastly to ensure that we are doing everything in our power to upgrade and improve our generating capacity,” said Andrew Smith, the Authority’s Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director. “Our on-going installation of more efficient propane-fired generating capacity not only improves the efficiency of our generation – meaning we burn less fuel to make the same amount of electricity – but it also provides the Authority with flexibility in which type of fuel to use”.

Wärtsilä is a Finnish company and global leader in innovative technologies and lifecycle solutions for the marine and energy markets, and the Randolph Harley Power Plant currently has three Wartsila generators in service. The team at the Authority, working closely with its partners at the Virgin Islands Housing Finance Authority and the Office of Disaster Recovery secured grant funding from the federal Housing and Urban Development Agency enabling the Authority to acquire another four Wartsila generators at no cost to the utility. These additional generators are scheduled to come online in early 2023; however, the Authority is making every effort to get the units in service earlier.

“Grant funding is incredibly important to the Authority and our customers because our customers get the benefit of lower fuel costs as a result of the improvement in efficiency, but our customers do not have to bear the cost of buying and installing the generators in rates because of the grant funding,” said Mr. Smith.

^{June 4, 2022 at 5:30AM AST- WAPA personnel safely move Wartsila components from the Crown Bay Homeport Dock through Subbase to the Randolph Harley Power Plant. (Transformer and Urea Day Tank pictured)}

^{June 4, 2022 at 5:30AM AST- WAPA personnel safely move Wartsila components from the Crown Bay Homeport Dock through Subbase to the Randolph Harley Power Plant. (Transformer pictured)}

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