Two Generators for the Letefoho District
GenerAide proposes securing 2 generators (20 Kva & 10 Kva) for the Letefoho district to provide back-up power for a Medical Clinic and Maternity Hospital and also to the fresh water pumping station 2 kms down the mountain.
The power supply for Letefoho comes from Gleno which is a town in a valley between the mountains and about half between Dili and Letefoho. The poles and wires wind their way up through the mountains but because of the wet season and the falling trees in the mountains, power can sometimes be cut-off for up to 2 weeks. When this happens, there is no back-up power to the clinic or the Maternity Hospital.
Letefoho’s Medical Clinic and Maternity Hospital
It is a common occurrence to lose all of the vaccines stored in the clinic’s electric refrigerator or for the humidicrib in the Maternity hospital to be unusable due to the power being out.
GenerAide decided the Health Clinic and Maternity Hospital needed a single phase 20Kva diesel generator, that is protected using a weatherproof enclosure. Local workers will pour a concrete slab to house the unit, then dig the trench and install the required underground cables. GenerAide will then terminate and commission the system.
Both the Health Clinic and the Maternity Hospital require wiring upgrades and GenerAide will carry out these works whilst onsite.
Letefoho’s Fresh Water Supply
The Letefoho fresh water supply comes from a creek around 2 kms down the mountain. There is a pump, controls cabinet and waterpipe to lift fresh water to the main village of Letefoho. This pump was installed a few years ago and is powered by overhead powerlines and as such is vulnerable to power losses at any time of the year. The women and children of the village carry the drinking water for 2 kms up the mountain when there is no power. Further, they bring their clothes and children down to this area for washing when the power has gone out.
When GenerAide visited the site we found that the power was present but the controls system was faulty. We diagnosed the fault and was able to instruct the technician to bring up the correct parts for the repair. Also a surge diverter is required to protect the electronic controls components.
Maintenance and Regular Servicing
GenerAide further recognise the need for ongoing and regular servicing for any installed generator and other equipment. We have a commitment from the Centro St Bakhita Leeuwin Care team to co-ordinate regular these scheduled maintenance visits. While in Timor, GenerAide made contact with a generator servicing contractor who will take care of these needs and train locals in the up-keep of this critical infrastructure in their community.
Workshop and Training
GenerAide owns a shipping container fitted out as a workshop complete with tools that it plans, in the future, to send to one of the Centro St Bakhita Leeuwin Care team’s compounds to be re-stocked regularly with diesel filters, oils and any other spare parts needed to keep generators and pumping stations throughout the region in good running order.
This containerised workshop will also be of value when training locals welding, fabrication and other skills required to keep their community’s generators and associated equipment in serviceable order.
GenerAide commits to ensuring the work teams are properly supervised and no works outside their skill level are carried out until licenced electricians are available for final terminations and commissioning.