Extension given for submission of bids for Lot B of GPL smart meter project

Aug 16, 2017 News

By Murtland Haley

It was previously scheduled that bids for Lot B of the Guyana Power and Light (GPL)’s Power

An extension has been given for bid submissions due to changes in material requirements for meter boxes.

Utility Upgrade Programme (PUUP) would have been opened yesterday. However, due to changes made to the tender document, the submission date for bids for Lot B of the PUUP has been moved to August 22.

The GPL project was listed as number 10 on the ‘Works, Goods and Services – Tender Opening Details’ document for Tuesday August 15, 2017. When Kaieteur News made inquiries from sources close to the project, it was confirmed that the new submission date will be next week Tuesday.

According to information received, the reason for the new date is that GPL had made changes to the tender document for Lot B. The changes concern the box to house the smart meter and the distribution box.

This newspaper understands that GPL has asked bidders to propose a box to house the meter that is made of metal. Previously, the box was required to be made from polycarbonate material which is a tough plastic.

Further, the body of the distribution box was originally to be made from polycarbonate as well, but is now to be made from metal. It is unclear why GPL would have made the change from polycarbonate to metal.

Based on research, polycarbonate is a durable material that withstands harsh conditions. It is impact resistant and is strong against vandalism due to having unbreakable properties. The material also protects against ultra-violet radiation when compared to metal, especially in hot temperatures.

The last official update that Kaieteur News received on the PUUP project came from the Chairman of the GPL Board, Robert Badal.

During an interview, Badal had said that he has not received any indication or ‘red light’ that any aspect of the project is not meeting its deadline.

Currently, Lot A is being rolled out as China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC) at a cost of $4.6B. The project is sponsored by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the European Union (EU).

Badal said that the entire programme is time-specific, because GPL has to execute it and receive disbursements by a certain time. He said that based on reports received, currently, utility poles are being planted and that this process is about 10 per cent completed.

Further, he said that GPL is currently designing Lot C of the PUUP. He said that for this to be done, GPL has to assess the area, take note of the requirement and do the design before advertising for tenders to be submitted.

“So the PUUP is going forward as planned, but our target is to spend money on improving the grid in order to ensure reliability, remove these blackouts, reduce losses and ensure the quality of voltage.”

According to Badal, the company will be installing Itron Smart Meters which have the capability to be read remotely. He added that with the new technology, GPL would be able to understand patterns of consumption and be able to isolate areas where the company feels that there are problems. As such, the company can effectively conduct loss reduction enquiries and visits.

Approximately 25,000 smart meters are supposed to be installed for Lot A. Asked whether he is comfortable as Chairman of the Board that CMC was awarded Lot A of the programme in light of its history with GPL, Badal said that he is not familiar with the company and is not au fait with any past problems.

The project referred to was the construction of seven substations a number of years ago that was awarded to CMC. It involved the running of new high-powered transmission lines along the coastland and the laying of two submarine cables across the Demerara and Berbice Rivers.

CMC was criticised in a report done by Caribbean Engineering and Management Consultants (CEMCO) for works done on the GPL Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract which was valued at US$33.9M.

That report had said that CMC is not a construction company but rather a trading company for the export of Chinese engineering products. It was noted that CMC had engaged other Chinese firms to perform all aspects of that project, except for purchasing goods needed for the contract. However, there were shortages for the supply of these items, and those that were supplied did not satisfy the standards required by GPL.