The Tribune

MORE than 200 residents in Crooked Island have been without electricity since late Saturday night after a power generation unit malfunctioned, Bahamas Power and Light Company Ltd (BPL) confirmed yesterday.

BPL said the mechanical and electrical (M&E) unit failed around 11pm on Saturday, December 27, triggering an island-wide outage that has affected approximately 220 consumers.

Restoration efforts have been ongoing for more than 24 hours but have so far been unsuccessful. A technical team from New Providence is expected to arrive in Crooked Island today to assist with repairs.

Regional Manager for the Southern Region and Family Island Division Pedro Marcello said a specific mechanical component is required to return the unit to service.

“We have been in contact with the authorised Caterpillar dealer in The Bahamas to source the replacement component and have also conducted internal inventory checks across other Family Island stations,” Mr Marcello said.

He added that if the required part is located within BPL’s inventory, it will be transported to Crooked Island along with the technical team and an M&E technician.

BPL said the team is expected to arrive on the island at 3pm today.

Mr Marcello acknowledged the frustration being experienced by residents and apologised for the inconvenience caused by the prolonged outage.

“Our technicians have been working tirelessly to address this matter since the island lost its power supply,” he said.

“Our team members on the ground – whose families are also impacted by this power outage – understand the importance of restoring electricity to the entire community as quickly as possible and remain committed to getting that done.”

BPL also confirmed that an additional power generation unit at the Crooked Island power station is being prepared for overhaul and, once operational, will provide additional generation support.

Residents were encouraged to follow BPL’s Southern Regional WhatsApp Direct Channel for real-time updates as restoration efforts continue.