CUC is paying contractors some $10 million to repair its power plants’ engines, but Saipan continues to suffer from power outages while residents pay high power rates.
“We had information with us that I felt was reliable, and based on that information we felt that by June 30 we will have engines 1 and 7 online,” Muna said in a press conference on Monday. “Over the past few weeks, what has developed was [a] delay in getting the necessary parts for these engines.”
Muna said the delay in acquiring the engine parts and materials needed for the overhaul of the engines at Power Plant 1 resulted in a change in the scheduled date of completion of the rehabilitation.
CUC is now looking at July 31 as the completion date for engine #1’s rehabilitation, and July 15 for engine #7.
“Everything is pushed back as a result of what we’re going through right now,” Muna said.
Asked about the completion date for the rehabilitation of the rest of the engines at Power Plant 1, Muna said he could not tell for certain as CUC and its hired contractors need to “start with [engines] 1 and 7.”
He added, “Once engines 1 and 7 come out of the maintenance cycle, we can put two additional engines into the maintenance cycle.”
According to CUC’s Power Generation Status report, engine #1 is being maintained since Nov. 12, 2006.
Engine #1 is being repaired by DCM Group Inc. and MAN Diesel, while engine #7 is being repaired by CISCO and DCM.
CISCO is working on the engine’s alternator, while DCM is refurbishing its mechanical parts and auxiliaries.
Muna said the rest of the engines at Power Plant 1 also need repairs despite being online.
These engines, he noted, are operating at a capacity less than their rated efficiency.
Power Plant 1 has eight engines that are being repaired and rehabilitated by different contractors hired by CUC.
Last week, the utilities agency announced that high atmospheric temperature and overheating radiator caused engine #8 at Power Plant 1 to break down.
Over the past two days an abnormal sound in cylinder #16 of engine #3, and the presence of water in the turbocharger lube oil system of engine #6 affected 30 percent of the island’s power service.
