JAMAICA PUBLIC Service Company's (JPSCo) customers will experience extended load-shedding into next month because of a shortfall in the company's generating capacity.
Winsome Callum, JPSCo's public relations manager, told The Gleaner yesterday that the failure of a generating unit of a private power supplier plus the maintenance of others have contributed to the shortfall.
She said the extended load-shedding is expected to end early next month as the number four unit at the JPSCo's Old Harbour, St. Catherine plant plus a Jamaica Private Power Company (JPPC) unit have been taken out of service for maintenance.
Nonetheless, she said the company was confident that near normality of the island's power supply would soon be restored.
"We expect that over the next 48 hours the extent of the load-shedding will be progressively reduced," she said, adding that the maintenance programme which started from September was to ensure that all the generating units were in peak condition for the Yuletide season.
"The situation is expected to be temporary and should not result in any extended load-shedding," Ms. Callum said.
She said the Number 4 Old Harbour unit is expected to return to service today, likewise the JPPC unit which should have been returned to service last night. She added that another JPPC unit was experiencing mechanical problems, in addition to the B6 unit at Hunts Bay power plant which is generating at 50 per cent capacity.
