Basseterre, St. Kitts (Public Infrastructure News) —On Thursday, August 22, 2024, the Minister of Public Infrastructure, Energy and Utilities, Hon. Konris Maynard, broke news via his social media page, that his Ministry had successfully procured and commissioned a new Powerscreen p400x primary crusher to facilitate quarry operations.
Minister Maynard said:
“This is the first major primary crusher upgrade since 1988. This is going to increase the capacity of the quarry exponentially”
Minister of Public Infrastructure, Energy and Utilities | Hon. Konris Maynard
A primary crusher transforms large stones into smaller ones by a crushing mechanism, producing aggregates that could be used in construction and road projects.
According to Quarry Manager Jermaine Lake, the new machine could crush 400 tons of stone per hour – a feature which Lake says will increase the efficiency of the quarry.
The two older machines crush rocks at 175 and 80 tonnes per hour, respectively. The new primary crusher outshines them by 145 tonnes per hour, making this machine a more efficient way to crush.
In addition to an improvement in the crushing rate, the new machine is also mobile. Lake says:
“It would allow us to crush where the material is, as opposed to having to send excavators and trucks.”
Quarry Manager | Jermaine Lake
Minister Maynard said that ongoing and future road projects in Saint Peters, Shadwell West, Boyds, Palmetto Point, and Newton Ground will be among the first to benefit from the new machine.
Kevin Johnson, a representative of Powerscreen of Florida, Georgia, and the Caribbean, facilitated a multi-day training session on the use of the equipment from August 12 – 22, 2024.
The Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Energy, Utilities, and Domestic Transport continues to implement its proactive strategy to modernize quarry operations. To learn more, visit mopieudt.gov.kn/the-public-works-department now.
