Electricity distribution in Mahdia to be expanded

An increased number of residents in Mahdia, Region Eight, will soon have electricity in their homes, according to General Manager of the Mahdia Power and Light Incorporated (MPL Inc), Courtney Handy.

Mahdia Power and Light Incorporated

Handy said plans are underway to extend services to new communities, including a new developing housing scheme in Mahdia, and Upper and Lower Campbelltown.
Services will also be augmented with establishment of the Tumatumari Hydro Plant, Handy noted.
MPL Inc currently has two generators, a 400 and a 625, which operate on 46 or 56 litres an hour, respectively. Twenty hours of electricity are provided daily on a weekly basis, and 24 hours on weekends. However, according to Handy, one of the major challenges is the timely receipt of fuel.
“We mainly get our supply from GUYOIL, and that is all the way in Georgetown. So it will take an entire day to come to Mahdia. You have to come through Linden, then through Mabura, then here. But once we can get that on time, everything is fine,” Handy is quoted by the Department of Public Information as saying.
The utility company is mainly sustained through government subvention and rates accrued from the current 6,116 customers. Handy related to DPI that from May 1, the collection rate was increased from 70 to approximately 90 per cent.
He said, “Based on the amount of money we bill, we collect 70 per cent from our customers, and we’re trying to increase it to somewhere to 90, so that we can improve our efficiency and achieve our goal of expanding services.”
According to the GM, operations are running smoothly with the two engines. Total capacity is 1.2 megawatts, and approximately 368 kilowatts during peak hours.
MPL Inc is governed by the Public Infrastructure Ministry’s Hinterland Electrification Company Incorporated.