As Thompson leaves disappointed, but in good spirits
Mr. David Thompson, Montserrat Utilities Ltd. (MUL) Manager will leave his post on August 31, 2017, at the end of a three-year stint. According to a ZJBNews report, Mr. Kendal Lee head of the company’s electricity division, previously chief engineer, will assume the Managing Director’s position, as of September 1. According to the report, during a farewell ceremony held in Thompson’s honour, the manager designate Lee expressed his appreciation for the outgoing managing director on Thursday evening.
Lee noted: “I enjoyed working with Mr. Thompson over the last three years, I admire the calm disposition he displays at all times and the swift way he is able to deal with company matters and the clear way he articulated the reasons behind his decisions.”
He continued his praise for Thompson who he considered prepared him well for his new position., “Mr. Thompson has been a very good coach and mentor in leadership and management and he has provided me with very good support,” commenting that his interaction with Mr. Thompson did not end on a Friday afternoon. “I would fellowship with him very often on weekends also.”
Lee finally lauded Thompson’s commitment to his service to Montserrat. “He has also given his time and commitment in the service of Montserrat Utilities Limited and whenever he could he did the same in the wider community,” he said.
Thompson who had succeeded former Manager Peter White had arrived just after the ground breaking for the now completed new power generating plant. Speaking to ZJB Radio about the new power plant which had been over thirteen (13) years in the making, he declared, “We are in a much better place,” he said. “We have a new power station, we do have a new generator, we do have a new alternator, we have a new capacity on island to deliver energy.”
He has over his entire three-year tenure overseen the construction of the new power station in Brades, but according to him he has also witnessed significant progress being made in plans to generate renewable energy, particularly solar and geothermal. He had taken over immediately from White who at that ground-breaking ceremony when as background had said that plans for the new generating plant had gone back to 2003/4 when Mott MacDonald, a name we still hear of in consultancies, was engaged to do a study of the establishment of a permanent power station in the north.
Thompson however, reminiscing on this tour of duty and the progress under his oversight, warned: “…but let me also make it clear that this isn’t the end to all the problems.”
Thompson feels that there is more to be done suggesting that the power plant does not solve all the problems that the island can face. “We have one power station on the island so if there’s any problem at that power station it affects everybody. We have three, well it’s actually more like two and a half distribution routes; if there’s a problem on one of them it affects a lot of people across the island.”
He pointed out as reference: “We had some problems two or three weeks ago with an electrical storm, that was nothing to do with the new facility. We would have those problems anyway.”
“…I can’t walk away from here and promise you everything will be alright forever,” he lamented, also advising. “There will still be difficulties, you still need skilled staff at the power station and indeed skilled staff on the distribution network to fix the problems that arise but it is going to be in a much better position when I leave than when it was when I arrived.”
Referring to his disappointments they came particularly from the time it took to get the new plant into full operation. They arise in particular when at the beginning of his last year when even though cautiously he had said: “It’s not like just switching it on and there it goes,,, There are one or two issues that might [occur] but I’m hoping that they don’t. if everything goes as expected we think it should be capable to have power to the island from that machine this side of Christmas.”
Speaking specifically to his major disappointment, he said, referring to the said delay in the plant delivery: “The disappointment was that we couldn’t get everything working quicker…there were a few more teething problems than we hoped but actually overall we have a new facility for the island that will fit and suit the island for many years to come.”
He then happily pointed out, “…some people thought we were getting a new engine. Actually, it was much, much more on that: We also have a completely new method of control we’ve brought in a very more sophisticated control system. We’ve also got a good new workshop repair facility so this is very much more than just about an engine although the engine is a very useful and very needed part of the project.”
