Pangnirtung state of emergency remains; 4 generators delivered

Pangnirtung, Nunavut, remains in a state of emergency three weeks after a fire at the local power plant caused a community-wide power outage.

Technicians from Qulliq Energy Corporation are installing newly-delivered generators toreplace the emergency backup generators that have been providing power to the entire hamlet since April 6.

The state of emergency will remain in place until the technicians finish theirwork, the Government of Nunavut said in an update issued Friday afternoon.

While that work is going on, there may be brief power outages.

The government is asking residents to listen to the local community radio station for further updates.

Heavy logistics

Four self-contained generator units, known as gensets, were delivered to Pangnirtung from Iqaluit by a heavy-lift Sikorsky S-64F Skycrane helicopter duringthe past week, with the last delivery taking place on Tuesday.

The helicopter will fly back next week to Iqaluit, where it will be dismantled and loaded onto a massive Antonov A-124-100 cargo plane and taken to its next destination.

The long-term plan

The four generators are cited by the government as a "mid-term" solution to Pangnirtung's power problem.

The power corporation has previously said it plans to install a permanent generator in the community in early 2016.