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US$20M Wartsila generation units…. GPL misses commissioning date, says preparing to test
By Rabindra Rooplall
After missing the August 31st, 2011 deadline for the commissioning of the additional 15.6 megawatt Wartsila generation units, Guyana Power and Light (GPL) is yet to set another date for the commissioning of the US$20M power plant. The two 7.8 Megawatt generators arrived last May.
Bharrat Dindyal
According to Chief Executive Officer of GPL, Bharrat Dindyal, they were to begin a trial run yesterday to observe if the systems are ready, however, Monday would be the latest that they would be tested. He noted that the Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, the minister holding the energy portfolio, will have to set a new date in the weeks ahead for the commissioning of the generators and the media would be invited.
When asked about the six 1.5 megawatt Caterpillar units that were being rented earlier this year to supplement 10 Megawatts to the system until the new Wartsila plant is commissioned, Dindyal said that maintenance work is needed and only after proper checks are done in the system, then GPL would decide if to keep some of the machines on-line.
He noted that there has been a delay since checks were being made to confirm that everything is intact for the commissioning of the 15.6 Megawatt generation units.
When this publication tried contacting the Prime Minister’s office on the three numbers listed in the directory there was no answer on the other end.
Prime Minister Hinds had previously indicated that the operational life of the Wartsila machines once they are properly maintained can be as long as 20 years. However, he noted that such longevity depends on how much money the company is willing to spend and the availability of equipment.
The 15.6 megawatt Wartsila generation units arrived in mid-May
The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) had assured consumers that there would be an increase in generation capacity was imminent, as the company was on schedule for the August 31 commissioning of the additional Wartsila generation units, which arrived in Guyana on May 17.
The Kingston power plant currently has the capacity to generate 85 megawatts of electricity.
Wartsila, a Finnish company known for building marine engines, has been in Guyana since the 1990s and contracted to maintain and operate the engines. Demand for electricity has been growing from new housing schemes and additional equipment like air condition units.
GPL is moving ahead with a major US$40M project, funded by the Chinese, to build new transmission lines and several sub-stations across the country. Last year, the power company for the first time brought down commercial losses by three per cent to below 30 per cent.
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