Tinian Power Plant Assessment Underway

According to the CNMI Joint Information Center, 21% of Tinian's power has been restored following Super Typhoon Sinlaku. Commonwealth Utilities Corporation Executive Director Kevin Watson provided further updates on short-term, mid-term, and long-term recovery efforts at a Tinian Delegation meeting at the Senate focused on CUC recovery and restoration updates.

Currently, the 249th Army Corps of Engineers is providing short-term temporary power to Tinian. The mid-term solution - energy-efficient Aggreko generators - is expected to be set up in the latter part of July, pending the completion of the assessment of the island's local power plant.

Watson said, "We just had a team from the Army Corps of Engineers and FEMA arrive [June 2nd], and they are in Tinian [June 3rd]. Their structural engineers [are assigned] to do an assessment of the building itself, and mechanical engineers to do an assessment of the engines."

According to Watson, a previous preliminary assessment had determined that the building sustained structural damage, for which repairs have not yet been completed. The current team's purpose is to assess whether the repairs are feasible or to move forward with total building replacement.

Additionally, assessments will be carried out to determine if the engines must be repaired or replaced with new engines. Of the teams, Watson commented, "They are there today, they will be here throughout the week and probably next week, doing this assessment."

Meanwhile, it was confirmed that a total of 61 concrete power poles are already on Tinian, with a shipment of transformers and concrete poles scheduled to leave South Korea by June 8. On the subject of transmission and distribution, Watson estimates that two weeks or less is needed to complete the set-up of lines and poles on Tinian. He said Tinian has the available capacity to meet the island's full power demand in the short-term, with supplies scheduled to reach on-island power crews, and mid-term fixes awaiting the analysis of the island's main power plant facility.

The recovery effort's toll was brought into focus during the meeting's public comment period. Steven Sablan, a Saipan resident, shared the situation of his 94-year-old father, whose home in Papago remains without power. The family has been bearing the costs of purchasing ready-made food, due to a lack of refrigeration and generator fuel in the interim. Despite repeated calls to CUC, Sablan said the family has received little to no response. "Even though we call, we still don't have any information that is being fed back to the [help] desk."