Brazilian state of Amapa blacked out by power station fire

Authorities are working round the clock to replace transformers that were knocked out by a fire at the main power station in the capital city of Macapá, where most of the state's 862,000 inhabitants live. Energy Minister Bento Albuquerque, speaking to reporters in Brasilia, said the government was sending transformers to Amapá to try to restore 60% of the power supply to the state, but replacing them all would take a month.

SAO PAULO, Nov 5 (Reu ters) - The northern Brazilian state of Amapá has been virtually without electricity since a blackout on Tuesday night and is receiving only 10% of its normal power supply, the national grid operator ONS said on Thursday. Authorities are working round the clock to replace transformers that were knocked out by a fire at the main power station in the capital city of Macapá, where most of the state's 862,000 inhabitants live.

Energy Minister Bento Albuquerque, speaking to reporters in Brasilia, said the government was sending transformers to Amapá to try to restore 60% of the power supply to the state, but replacing them all would take a month. Only a small local hydroelectric plant that does not rely on the transformer station is currently operating.

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