More electricity problems for Antigua

APUA's Friars Hill Station

Aziz Hadeed, owner of the APC and Minister without portfolio in the Prime Minister's Cabinet	Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Communications and Works, Wilmouth Daniel

by Sarrah Hadeed
Caribbean Net News Antigua-Barbuda Correspondent
E-mail: sarrahhadeed@yahoo.com 

Wednesday, August 10, 2005

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua: The Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) is once more grappling with the problem of not being able to supply enough power to serve the people of Antigua and Barbuda. 

Last January, a similar situation occurred when the main plant at the Crabbs Power Station went out of commission for several days and the company suffered a further setback of sorts when the station located on the Friars Hill Main Road was "knocked off line". 

However, the problem this time around is at the Friars Hill plant, where two generators are out of commission due to what has been described as "mechanical problems".

The failure of the generators has resulted in blackouts in several areas of St. John's, the capital. Caribbean Net News attempted to reach APUA's Public Relation's Officer but he was out of office. However, a spokesman at the Friars Hill plant preferred not to say there were blackouts, choosing rather to say "there is schedule of load-shedding taking place at the moment".

The situation at the APUA is causing some concern as recent press reports speak of turbulence between the APUA and the Hadeed family-owned Antigua Power Company (APC).

Caribbean Net News has learnt that some uncomplimentary remarks have recently been made by Deputy Prime Minister, Wilmouth Daniel against the APC owners in which it was suggested that the nation could be forced to live in darkness at the whims of the APC owners, a statement that angered some nationals who called it "rude".

Daniel is said to be strongly in favour of "dumping" the Hadeed's APC.

Ironically, during the problems in January, it was the APC that supplied most of the electricity the island requires. 

Meanwhile, as APUA struggles on, everything is being done to restore normalcy as several "feeders" will be brought on stream to assist in solving the problem.

It is also understood that APC and the West Indies Oil Company (WIOC) are also assisting in the generation of power.

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