$100 million power project gets started

With a simple symbolic groundbreaking ceremony last Thursday, the largest project ever undertaken by government in this country was formally set in motion to make way for the construction of the Lowmans Bay Generation Plant.

It is by far the costliest project ever at the cost of $100m and comprises two major components,: $70m toward what is the Power Plant project, and the Transmission and Distribution component which carries the other $30m.{{more}}

Chief Executive Officer of Vinlec, Thornley Myers told the gathering that the project came out of the recognition in the 1990’s that the Cane Hall Power Plant did not have what it took to continue to serve as the tie to meet the future electricity generation needs of the country.

He said that at the same time it was recognized that as customers demands for electricity increased there would be need to expand the transmission network.

This gave birth to what he said, is referred to internally as the power Expansion Plant.

He said when the decision was taken by the Board of Directors towards the end of 2002 to move forward with the Power Project, the organisation was going through a very difficult period.

Myers said there was much anticipation around the company which did not make for easy planning of such a complex project.

He made reference to the tumultous period when most of the senior management staff was replaced . Myers said that very early in 2003 there were “significant staff changes in the company and it was left to those of us who remain to take up the pieces with little orientation to move the project forward.”

He then named the members of the project team which worked along with the Project Manager Herbert Samuel who had been hired specifically for this purpose. The Project team included Senior Transmission and Distribution Engineer (STDE) Elrias Williams, Senior Generation Engineer (SGE) Leonard Deane, and Senior Planning Engineer (SPE) Dr. Vaughn Lewis. Myers said that in his position then as Manager Engineering he chaired the committee.