SUPERIOR TALENT: Jamaican crews have been putting their noses to the grindstone to ensure that citizens of the British Virgin Islands do not spend Christmas in the dark. In the USVI, there was a report today that WAPA CEO Julio Rhymer had resigned for a bigger job in government.
ROAD TOWN, Tortola, BVI — Some 35 linesmen have arrived to assist the British Virgin Islands Electricity Corporation (BVIEC) with the restoration of electricity in this British territory.
“We just received a team from Jamaica, Magtech Enterprise Co., so approximately 35 linesmen were engaged,” BVIEC General Manager Leroy Abraham said. “They came in on December 3 and we have them split amongst the various local teams that are here.”
Additionally, Abraham said the team from Jamaica will be here for a period of three months and will also be working on the sister island of Jost Van Dyke.
With the approaching holiday season, various visiting teams will be returning home for the break. However, Magtech will be here during the Christmas season to assist the BVIEC with restoration.
“Magtech will be the last team arriving to the territory for the remainder of the year.,” Abraham said. “The Varlard team engaged by the UK Government will likewise be demobilizing before Christmas.”
Teams that are demobilising are expected to return to the BVI in January.
“We do not have definitive and confirmed dates of when they will be coming back or which teams will be re-mobilized but we do expect the return of a few teams from our sister utility companies,” Abraham said.
The corporation is achieving a lot of progress since the passage of Hurricane Irma which left the territory in darkness from a 90 percent destroyed electricity grid.
To date, Anegada is 99 percent restored, as well as 80 percent of Great Harbour, Jost Van Dyke, with work progressing on Virgin Gorda and Tortola.
The British Virgin Islands Electricity Corporation said that it “thanks the public for their patience as they work towards full restoration.”