THE JAMAICA Public Service Company (JPSCo) has stepped up its load shedding schedule to cope with the increased stress on the system caused by Monday night's fire which damaged the number three unit at the company's Old Harbour plant.
Based on the load shedding schedule, residential customers who place most pressure on the company's generating system will be hardest hit. According to the JPSCo statement, electricity supply will be suspended during the peak demand period of 6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
In a statement last night, the company said it was carrying out investigations to determine the cause of the fire and that load shedding would take place "over the next few days".
It said this was to cope with the loss of 65 megawatts of electricity because of the damage done to the number three unit. The loss of the unit comes at a time when the number two unit, which provides 60 megawatts of electricity, is out for "scheduled maintenance". Repairs are also being carried out on a defective unit at the Jamaica Private Power Company which provides 30 megawatts.
The fire has compounded an already bad situation for the light and power company which disclosed last week it was experiencing a severe shortfall in its generating capacity. This was largely due to the increase in demand for electricity among residential customers and problems being experienced with private power providers.
Winsome Callum, JPSCo's corporate relations manager, said customers in five parishes were spared power cuts on Monday night because the company was able to supply the demand. Sections of Kingston and St. Andrew, St. James, Westmoreland, St. Elizabeth and St. Thomas were to have experienced load shedding.
Reports reaching The Gleaner are that the fire fighting unit on standby at the Old Harbour plant was disabled. However, Ms Callum said it was able to put out the fire within 10 minutes. She said assistance was sought from the Old Harbour fire station but it had no functioning units. A unit was dispatched from Spanish Town but the fire was extinguished before it arrived.
