Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) has launched another innovative solution to restore electricity to sections of St Elizabeth where the backbone of its transmission network was devastated by the October 28 Category 5 Hurricane Melissa.

In a media release on Thursday, JPS said the innovation centres around its Maggotty Hydroelectric Power Plant in St Elizabeth, one of the company’s renewable energy plants.

According to the JPS, under normal circumstances, damage to the transmission network would prevent power generated at the hydro plant from reaching customers.

However, a solution conceptualised and developed by its team members allows electricity from the renewable hydro plant to be fed directly into parts of the distribution network that are isolated from the rest of the grid.

The JPS said this isolated network, dubbed ‘The Maggotty Island’, has enabled approximately 2,000 customers to be energised — customers who would otherwise have remained without power for several months, while severely damaged transmission lines that traverse challenging mountainous terrain are rebuilt.

JPS President and CEO Hugh Grant pointed out that, “The damage caused by the unprecedented Category 5 Hurricane Melissa required a different way of thinking. The Maggotty Island is a powerful example of the JPS team’s ingenuity and determination to find solutions, even in the most difficult circumstances.

“By creating this islanded system, the company has been able to energise communities using renewable power, despite the unavailability of transmission lines connected to the power plant.”

Grant further indicated that this innovation was an important factor in enabling JPS to have 90 per cent of its customers now with electricity.

“The Maggotty Island, along with the company’s proactive move in bringing in line workers from North America before the hurricane made landfall; the tremendous support of our Caribbean electric utility partners; and the subsequent procurement of additional North American line workers and specialised equipment; have all played a critical role in enabling us to hit this important 90 per cent mark.

“This milestone achievement is testament to the significant investment we’ve made in our systems and infrastructure, our preparations before the hurricane, strong execution of our restoration strategy, and heightened stakeholder engagement,” added Grant.

Speaking on the renewable nature of The Maggotty Plant, which generates electricity using the Maggotty River, Grant explained that these plants do not experience the type of intermittency seen with solar and wind systems, referring to the hydroelectric plant as “firm renewable”.

Grant said this hydroelectric power plant generates up to 12 megawatts of power, and is one of six hydropower plants operated by JPS.

The Maggotty Island was launched on Tuesday, bringing electricity to several communities, including Maggotty town and several critical facilities, among them the National Water Commission pump at Maggotty, the National Irrigation Commission pump, as well as telecommunication sites at Hounslow and Lacovia Police Station.

The innovation follows closely on the implementation of another creative restoration initiative by JPS — the Emergency Mobile Power Generation Unit — which is currently supplying electricity to just under 1,000 customers in Treasure Beach and surrounding communities.

JPS, in the media release, said these solutions form part of a broader restoration and resilience strategy aimed at supporting communities while permanent repairs are under way.

The company also promised its customers that it will continue to work assiduously into the new year, to energise those persons still awaiting supply.

However, Grant warned that the proverbial ‘last mile’ will be long and gruelling.

“We are now at the most difficult stage of the redesign and rebuilding journey. It will take more than 10 times the effort to get power to 10 times less customers. We know the wait is hard, but we ask our customers to be patient while we rebuild together as a nation, following the worst storm to hit the island,” said Grant.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness has announced that additional equipment and linemen are scheduled to arrive in the island today to accelerate electricity restoration in areas currently without JPS service.

Holness, made the disclosure while addressing the hundreds of residents who turned out for the inaugural Black River Fireworks Festival in St Elizabeth Wednesday night.

He assured residents that most communities currently without power should see significant improvement within weeks.

The prime minister said the reinstatement of electricity is being done in a structured way to ensure efficiency and reach.

“We will begin in the main towns. Then we will move to the main thoroughfares and then very quickly thereafter into the far and remote areas,” declared Holness.

Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness addressing the inaugural staging of the Black River Fireworks Festival held in St Elizabeth on Wednesday night. (Photo: JIS)