GPL boss says...There is enough power to service Demerara/Berbice residents

GPL boss says…There is enough power to service Demerara/Berbice residents

Aug 07, 2016 News

-Notwithstanding busted submarine cable

While there have been a series of power outages, which coincide with the recently damaged submarine cable, GPL is adamant that there is enough power in the Demerara Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS) to service

The ship as it laid the cable

coastal residents.
This is according to acting Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), Renford Homer. He was asked whether the cable’s present inability to feed power from Vreed-en-Hoop to the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected system was responsible for frequent power outages.
Homer noted that the power which is currently lost due to the cable damage was classified as excess power. While he did say that it would be nice to have that excess power, he added that there is actually enough power being generated on the other side to sustain power to customers within the DBIS.
He provided assurances that the cable will be rectified. He also stated that while an assessment of the extent of the damages continued, efforts are ongoing and equipment is being brought in order to rectify the breach.
The Chinese-built cable is crucial, as part of the system that connects the Berbice and Demerara grid.
It means that the new power facility at Vreed-en-Hoop, West Demerara, which cost more than US$30M, is at present unable to lend its excess power to the other side of the river.
GPL has been under pressure to reduce its outages with some of them coming at embarrassing times.
Guyana first learnt of a problem with the submarine cable on July 13 when GPL disclosed in a statement that on the previous evening the Demerara Berbice Interconnected System experienced a shutdown as a result of a faulty connection or “Pot Head” that links the 69KV submarine cable to the overhead transmission lines at Kingston.
While power was restored, the link remained down. GPL said that “every effort” is being made to restore the submarine cable link between the Vreed-en-Hoop station.
The 69KV submarine cable was laid in 2012 across the Demerara River and crossed Kingston, Georgetown to Vreed-en-Hoop, West Bank Demerara and.
However, supervising consultants Caribbean Engineering and Management Consultants, Inc. (CEMCO) had urged that it be re-examined.
“It is generally good practice to have redundant feeds for cables as the time to locate and repair faults can result in extended outages. With a submarine cable this can result in even more extended outages.”
The report pointed out that in addition, it is possible that the life of the cable may have been compromised during installation due to the methods employed and possible dragging of the cables by fuel boats that were traversing the Demerara River.
As an alternative to a second submarine cable, GPL may have to consider an overhead transmission line at a suitable point along the Demerara River, the consultants urged.