DOMLEC says Roseau Valley hydro-electric system damaged by Erika is operating at full capacity again

DOMLEC says Roseau Valley hydro-electric system damaged by Erika is operating at full capacity again. Generation Manager Dave Stamp made the announcement at a press conference on Monday. He said “Last year, during the passing of Erika, the hydro system was severely damaged. The Clarke’s River System was almost annihilated, one of our main power stations was inundated with landslides. So, this was a daunting task for us, because we did not want to be short on hydro-generation for too long, and have to run more diesel stations and raise the fuel surcharge.”
 
He stated the system was fully restored late last year. “So, we worked hard and I’m pleased to announce that as of late December last year, we were able to restore full generation from the hydro system to full capacity back up as normal.” Stamp added that although the system is operational, infrastructural damage is still a cause for concern, due to damage caused by the Roseau River during the storm.
 
“The current status however, is that we still have some infrastructural work to do. The Roseau River did a lot of damage and some of our infrastructure intake systems and our pipelines were undermined and inundated. Those are still works to be done, but we have managed to put in temporary support systems, in order to ensure that we can still operate the hydro plant. So, I’m pleased to say, at this time, the hydro system is back to full output and we are producing as much hydro power as we can, given the availability of rainfall. We hope to have those structures restored by the end of the year, but we will do so in a way that it does not affect the operation of the hydro plant.”
 
He further stated that “The Roseau Valley has a special importance to us, in that the Roseau Valley is the home of the hydro system. Persons in the Roseau River, please protect our pipelines because it is not just for DOMLEC. The integrity of those pipelines translates right down to your electricity bill. The more hydro we produce, the lower the fuel surcharge,” Stamp articulated.