Urgent action is needed to refurbish ageing equipment at Tynes Bay, the House of Assembly heard yesterday.

Diallo Rabain, speaking on behalf of the Minister of Public Works, said: “Many of you may recall that the plant is now over 25 years old and has undergone one major refurbishment some ten years ago.

“While this investment has prolonged the life of the plant, there are now components that are reaching the end of their useful life with full replacement being the only option.

“This means that a total plant upgrade – which will span some three to five years – needs to start now.”

He added: “Tynes Bay is simply too important a service to let fail and while there will be years of hard work to arrive at a final solution, I can assure you that work towards that final solution has already begun.”

The House heard that the facility would be a critical part of the island-wide waste water management plan, with the electricity generated to be used to provide renewable energy for the project.

Mr Rabain said: “This plan will see Tynes Bay repurposed as a renewable energy hub for a combined Waste and Water Utility that will treat sewage and produce both potable and non-potable water with garbage as its primary energy source.

“We have high hopes for the success of this project as it will create a number of environmental benefits for the island as well as provide new opportunities for creative financing for the government.

“But while this plan will provide for the future, we unfortunately still need to deal with the here and now.”

Mr Rabain said the public would be kept abreast of the work and if there is any change in service, but it was expected that disruption during the work would be minimal.

He said: “It’s operating with the fixes that are in place, but we recognise that it’s not a sustainable model.”

The Tynes Bay facility began operation in May 1994 and major refurbishments were carried out between 2010 and 2012 at a cost of $20 million.