WAPA To Move Forward With Propane Tank Movement Monday Morning

Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority announced Sunday it would move forward with the movement of the first two storage tanks on St. Thomas Monday morning that will facilitate the utility’s conversion from oil to propane in the generation of electricity. The move is expected to begin at 7 a.m. Monday.

The move was originally scheduled for Sunday morning, but heavy rains on Friday night hampered the effort along the movement route from the Crown Bay homeport dock to the propane installation facility on top the hillside overlooking the utility’s power generation plant in Sub Base.

“We took our time on Sunday to analyze the ground conditions, make some final adjustments and weather permitting, we will proceed with the movement of the first tank at 7 a.m. Monday,” Executive Director Hugo Hodge said. He noted that WAPA and the project’s lead contractor, VITOL, crews have worked through the weekend to ensure the movement of the first two of 10 tanks that will be installed at the Randolph Harley power plant on St. Thomas.

“We will take advantage of Monday’s holiday with reduced traffic flow in the area to carefully move these huge tanks to their installation site. Weather permitting, we have every confidence that tomorrow’s installation will go off without a hitch,” Hodge said Sunday, adding, “I strongly encourage anyone attempting to traverse through the Sub Base area while these tanks are being positioned, to pay close attention to the directions of the posted flagmen and law enforcement officers that will be directing traffic flow during this operation.”

The empty storage tanks have been temporarily stored at the Container Port on St. Croix since their arrival last July.  In October, the first eight storage tanks were transported from the St. Croix Container Port to WAPA’s Estate Richmond facility.

WAPA officials say all of the tanks will be installed with  redundant safety mechanisms and will be encased in earthen and concrete “mounds,” storing propane on-site at the power plants on St. Croix and St. Thomas.

WAPA’s propane conversion project has seen controversy in recent months with reports of unfair hiring practices,and  unsafe and unsanitary working conditions at its St. Croix work site.