“There appears to be a lack of proper routine maintenance and operational checks that should have prevented several of the unit outages. There is a failure to recognize the seriousness of a failed piece of equipment and to quickly work to resolve the problems before they lead to the complete engine breakdown,” the report stated.
It added that PPUC has to invest in training personnel responsible for specifying replacement parts.PPUC should also hire a contract diesel plant operation maintenance supervisor to assist the existing plant personnel, the report stated.Presently, three small units of the eight engines are operational at the Malakal power plant.At the Aimeliik plant, three units are operating with one unit down for major rehabilitation.Interior’s report said too many units are down for maintenance.Not more than one of the six large engines should be taken out of service for overhaul at any one time unless PPUC gets a reliable standby generator, the report added.It said PPUC should purchase two 2-megawatt generators and should also begin the process of purchasing a larger and more efficient base load generator to meet the system load.President Johnson Toribing said the power crisis is “not the government’s fault but it was due to the policy decisions of PPUC.”He said PPUC and its new general manager, Ken Uyehara, will have to “change policy direction.”“We need a more creative management to provide the best solution,” Toribiong told reporters.The president has appointed former Health Minister Victor Yano to and former Senate President Surangel Whipps Sr. to the PPUC board.The two will replace Kione Isechal and Tiger Gillham whose courtesy resignations were accepted by the president last week.
