Latest update November 22nd, 2024 1:00 AM
Latest News
- Exxon wants new oil block on own terms
- Indian companies eye Guyana’s oil
- ICC issues arrest warrant for Israeli PM Netanyahu for ‘war crimes’ in Gaza
- Developing countries should not be curtailed in exploiting natural resources- PM Modi tells Parliament
- Jagdeo was sold expired soft drink at Marriott Hotel
Blackout-weary Guyana…“Disappointed” Patterson to visit power plants
As the country continues to reel from a daily dosage of outages and in some cases total shutdowns, senior minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson, has promised to visit the power stations to determine what interventions can be made.
Patterson, who has responsibilities for the energy sector, made the disclosure in a government statement yesterday, hours after news of a fire at the Vreed-en-Hoop, West Bank Demerara power station, in which a cable ignited.
More than 12 hours later yesterday, several parts of West Demerara were still without power, with persons angrily venting their frustration on social media.
The latest troubles of the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) have been seeing very little explanations from the state-owned company about the causes of the increase in outages, except for short statements, issued sometimes hours later on social media.
“Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson is disappointed with the recent spate of blackouts and will dedicate the parliamentary recess to intervene and find solutions,” the government statement said.
In an interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), Patterson expressed his “frustration” with the frequent power outages, noting that the explanations are “so simple”.
“Therefore, he will be visiting the power stations to ascertain first-hand what interventions can be made to restore normalcy.”
According to the Minister, the issue remains with the transmission and distribution line.
“Over the years our transmission and distribution line has deteriorated. I keep saying this, and I don’t want persons to think that we know the problem and should be addressing it. It’s still functional and can transmit electricity very efficiently, but we should be able to isolate the disturbances.”
An aerial view of the Vreed-En-Hoop station
Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson
In other instances, it is difficult to identify the troubled area bringing the entire system offline. “Often the team may think they found the problem and put on back the system, only to have to take it off back when they realise they haven’t, and this has led to the deterioration of the protection system,” Minister Patterson pointed out.
The issue of the transmission and distribution line is compounded further with other non-technical matters including receiving clearance from Guyana Revenue Authority and the wharves.
The Minister explained that new equipment was procured, but is stuck due to clearance issues which should have been addressed quickly and easily.
“I met with the staff of Guyana Power Light Incorporated (GPL); they’ve explained the issues they have, such as manpower and those equipment that have been ordered and not coming in quickly as they should. I’m meeting with the board and (will) ensure that they are equipped as fully as possible to address these issues,” Minister Patterson explained.
The Minister further stated that GPL is currently financially stable. Monies, he said, should be invested towards enhanced generation, so that issues such as tree trimming and burnt generators will not affect distribution.
The Public Infrastructure Minister acknowledged that the issues facing GPL are common in other countries. However, he emphasised that efforts will be intensified to correct these.
In December last year, the Coalition Government ended a two-decade-old arrangement with Wärtsilä, a Finnish corporation which had been building and managing power stations in Guyana since the 1990s.
GPL insisted that it was saving monies by ending the management contract, as in any case, the local Wärtsilä operation had been run by locals.
The previous government had commissioned new transmissions lines and seven sub-stations on the coast, but there are questions about the performance of the effectiveness of the facilities to help isolate faults. The recent outages have been angering citizens.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
A false panacea for electoral integrity
…Peeping Tom kaieteur News – Advocates for fingerprint verification in Guyana’s elections herald it as... more
Rising Gun Crimes in the Caribbean: Urgent Action required by all
By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News – There is an alarming surge in gun-related violence, particularly among younger... more
Weekend Cartoon
