PUC announces major power disruption for next week |11 August 2018

The Public Utilities Corporation (PUC) has announced that there will be an 18-hour long power disruption on Ste Anne, Cerf, Round, Moyenne and Long islands from August 17-18. The shut-down notice will be in force from 6am to midnight.

This disruption is necessary to allow PUC technicians to divert the power cable which feeds electricity from the corporation’s substation at Providence to these five inner islands. Work is expected to start next weekend.

Ravin Sunassee, the managing director for electricity at the PUC, yesterday explained to the press that the relocation of the cable is due to the Pangia Beach project, a residential development project on the eastern coast of Mahe going up Providence.

According to Mr Sunassee, the Pangia Beach project involves the construction of a rock armouring which might, in likelihood, damage the current cable.

“It is not possible for us to keep the cable in its current position because construction work on the rock armouring might damage it and the inner islands might have to face a few days of electricity shortage,” Mr Sunassee said.

The most important and time consuming element of the relocation is the construction of a cable joint in the sea.

While the construction of the cable joint itself is expected to be completed in six hours, the resin which is inserted inside the joint to avoid sea-water getting into contact with the power cable will need around 12 hours to solidify.

Mr Sunassee stated that the cost of this operation is around R350,000, a cost which will be borne by the Pangia Beach developer.