US 6.8 million worth Wartsila engine to stabilize power supply in Nevis: Mark Brantley

Premier of Nevis visited the Nevlec power station at Prospect with Cabinet colleagues to witness the installation of the brand new 3.8MW Wartsila engine. The engine was recently purchased by the government at US$6 million.

Earlier, the government had purchased two engines in 2000 and 2017, respectively. With the addition of a new engine, the efficiency will increase.

Premier Brantley stated that the new engine utilizes Wartsilla’s latest technology and consumes lesser fuel without compromising the greater efficiency, which will pass on to consumers in terms of lower prices.

He stated that when the new engine is commissioned, Nevis island will have a stable power supply allowing sufficient redundancy to service engines on time without blackouts across the island.

Brantley emphasized that Nevis remains committed to geothermal energy but decided that it was best now to stabilize the grid so that unplanned power outages can be minimized if not eliminated altogether, even as we achieve our renewable energy aspirations.

Furthermore, he thanked the Chairman of Nevlec Steadmond Tross and his Board and to the Cabinet for supporting this significant investment, General Manager and his entire management team at Nevlec.

"We especially enjoyed the institutional knowledge and expertise shared by plant manager Bobby Springette who led the tour this morning," said Brantley.