Majuro, RMI —At a special meeting held on 22 June 2022, the Marshalls Energy Company (MEC) Board of Directors approved the replacement of the old power plant station building, commonly referred to internally as Station 1, to provide a safer, more efficient, and longer-lasting facility. The proposed new structure will be located within the footprint of the existing facility but is designed to provide a cleaner workflow and improved work environment for staff.
The replacement of the 40-year-old structure is critical to the energy security of the approximately 30,000 residents of Majuro. The MEC power system on Majuro Atoll is not connected to neighboring power grids and must supply 100% of the island’s 9.5MW power demand. MEC anticipates this demand to grow to 13MW in the next three years due to commercial development. Because of the constant demand for electricity services and the operational limitations of the aging generators, it has been difficult to perform rehabilitation works to the existing building. “The opportunity to demolish the existing structures and replace them with a safer, workforce-friendly, more energy-efficient facility is a long-held desire of MEC“, stated MEC CEO, Jack Chong-Gum.
With the commencement of a World Bank-funded Renewable Energy (RE) project, an opportunity has developed whereby the Station 1 facility is required to shut down for several months as generator upgrades and RE works are carried out. “This shutdown period is currently the best and only time available to resolve the building issues permanently, thereby securing a safe and reliable power generation for the future,” expressed MEC CEO. He added, “the new building must be constructed and completed by the end of the year before the new replacement engines for the power plant arrive in Majuro early next calendar year. Replacing the Station 1 building after the new engines arrive or are installed will be complicated, more costly to implement, and result in a much longer shutdown of Station 1, which could mean more power outages.”
MEC estimates the cost of the replacement building for Station 1 to range between USD2.0 to 2.5 million.
The MEC Board of Directors acknowledged during their vote that “Safety is paramount. Security of the island’s power is a necessity. Protection of expensive generation equipment is vital. Time is of the essence.” The Board unequivocally agreed that a new building for Station One is required urgently.
