‘Grounding’ of Rota generator resolved

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The Commonwealth Utilities Corp. resolved last weekend the “grounding issue” that caused the 1.8-megawatt generator on Rota to trip, according to CUC executive director Gary P. Camacho yesterday.

“I think we are fine; the island is capable of producing power,” said Camacho, adding that they are switching different power engines and rotating them.

He conceded, though, that the newly installed Caterpillar diesel generator is already running but there is a minor technical problem that needs to be fixed today. He declined to specify the “technical problem.”

The Caterpillar diesel engine was reportedly put online last June 21, but it tripped the following day, causing an islandwide power outage on Rota.

Camacho earlier said a “grounding issue” caused the engine to conk out.

The entire worth of the project to purchase and install the generator is $690,000. It was bought to address a power emergency on Rota.

The contractor, International Bridge and Construction Marianas Inc., failed to meet the May 19, 2019, deadline to install the generator after it allegedly encountered some issues in delivering the unit from the U.S. mainland to Rota.

Ferdie De La Torre | Reporter
Ferdie Ponce de la Torre is a senior reporter of Saipan Tribune. He has a bachelor’s degree in journalism and has covered all news beats in the CNMI. He is a recipient of the CNMI Supreme Court Justice Award. Contact him at ferdie_delatorre@Saipantribune.com
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