By Lesroy W. Williams Observer Reporter
” (Basseterre, St. Kitts) – Leader of the People’s Action Movement (PAM), Lindsay Grant, has made false claims that the two Mirrlees MB 430 engines that were damaged in the Needsmust Power Plant Fire were prototypes, an engineering expert has said. “We have constantly and consistently warned the public about the prototype generators that were purchased for over $30 million and were no good. Now we are hurting because of the irresponsible spending of taxpayers” money on faulty generators. For the mistake of the government led by Denzil Douglas we the tax payers now have to pay. We have to pay because we are left without a constant supply of a basic necessity in addition to the fact that significant sums of our taxpaying dollars now have to be spent to right the wrong,” Mr. Grant said in a statement. “The first (ever) Mirrlees MB430 was installed, was commissioned in July 1987, which is almost 13 years before these ones were installed here (in St. Kitts),” MAN Diesel’s Regional Representative, Mr. Terrence Burns, said. MAN Diesel is the world’s leading provider of large-bore diesel engines for marine and power plant applications. Mr. Burns said that the Mirrlees MB430 Engines had a reputation for being reliable and were successful in many parts of the world including China, Europe and South America. “So the suggestion that these were prototypes is not correct,” Mr. Burns said in debunking Mr. Grant’s claim. The Mirrlees engines are one of the “most successful medium speed 720RPM diesel engines ever built, Mr. Burns said.” He said that all of the engines at the Needsmust Power Plant had been field tested and had a track record. Mr. Burns said that spare parts were available for all the engines at the power plant. “Even the engines that you have dating back to 1970, spare parts are readily available, every single one of the engines that St. Kitts Electricity has, including the MB430’s , parts are available from the manufacturer and will be for the life expectancy of the engines,” Mr. Burns said. The Needsmust Power Plant fire happened on October 2. As a result of damage to the plant’s two main engines, the Mirrlees 8MB 430 and Mirrlees 12MB 430, St.Kitts has been on a load shedding schedule. The electricity situation in the country has improved considerably. Engineers from overseas and the power plant’s workers have worked around the clock to improve the situation.
