Latest update January 1st, 2025 1:00 AM
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Three days of traffic disruption for West Demerara
… as GPL moves Wartsila engines
For three days, starting today, traffic on the West Coast of Demerara is expected to face delays as the state’s power company starts moving generators to its new power plant site at Vreed-en-Hoop.
Today, between 10:00hrs and 18:00hrs, the first of the 8.4 megawatts Wartsila generator will be moved from its Archies, Parika location to Vreed-en-Hoop. The operation is a tedious one for the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL), staffers from the Ministry of Public Works, Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T) and the police.
A special truck to transport each 130-tonne engine has been brought in along with special flyover bridge to lessen the weight over the existing road bridges along the West Coast roadway.
The police has warned of traffic delays as GPL start moving its new engines from Parika to Vreed-en-Hoop today.
According to the police, on Tuesday another of the engine will be moved around the same time with the last on Friday.
The engines and components valued US$26M, arrived last week at the Georgetown port and placed on a barge to be taken to Parika. GPL is unable to land the engines at Vreed-en-Hoop, located one mile away across the river from the John Fernandes wharf it landed as there are no landing facilities there.
Instead, the engines were placed on a barge and made its journey back on open waters to Parika, located almost 50 miles away.
The movement is expected to cause significant delays as the West Coast road is the main linkage between Parika and the city. Parika is the gateway to the Essequibo River and coast.
The engines are to be taken one by one and placed on foundation built of piles as long as 70 feet.
Vreed-en-Hoop, because of its location on the Demerara River bank, is the most difficult site for construction so far, GPL has said.
The 8.6 megawatts engines, which will make it 17, the number that Wartsila will have operating for GPL countrywide, are by far the biggest of the lot.
In addition to two storage tanks, the new power station will have its own wharf to accommodate a fuel vessel. BK International has been awarded a $242M contract for this.
When commissioned in April next year, the 26 megawatts engines are expected to boost GPL’s firm capacity to 106 megawatts. The extra power, which GPL is glad for, will also benefit Berbice when a power cable across the Berbice River is hooked sometime in the near future.
Guyana is struggling to meet increasing demand for power as new housing schemes and businesses continue to grow.
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