The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) is assuring consumers on the West Coast Demerara that the frequent power outages being experienced will be remedied by Thursday of this week as the company is making several interventions to return the situation to normal.
GPL’s CEO Bharrat Dindial, at a press briefing at the company’s office in Duke Street, Kingston yesterday afternoon stated that the genesis of the problem was the increase in power demand in the area, particularly during the daytime, which he believes may be related to an unusual heat wave experienced on the coastland. The power company, he stated, realizes that power demand increases so rapidly during the evening peak that power supply to the entire West Coast Demerara area has had to be interrupted.
Dindial said GPL is making two interventions to deal with the problem; to increase the generating capacity at Versailles and, to reinforce the connection with the Garden of Eden power station to allow greater power transfer.
He said that by Wednesday of next week a 1.6MW Caterpillar unit from the Sophia power station will be relocated to Versailles to increase the generating capacity at that station to 7.5MW. He added that a 1.2MW Caterpillar unit which serves the West Demerara will be returned to service, the total power capacity of 8.7MW will then allow the company to meet the peak demand on the West Coast Demerara.
As regards the reinforcement of the Garden of Eden connection which will ensure additional power generation to the West Demerara area, voltage regulating equipment which has just arrived in the country will be installed at Vriesland on the West Bank Demerara by Friday.
In addition, Dindial said that a third voltage regulator will be installed at the company’s Leonora Sub-Station to boost the voltage capacity there from 10% to 15%.This move will also occur by Friday of this week.
As part of its long-term plans, Dindial said, GPL plans to link the new Kingston power plant, which is expected to be commissioned within the coming weeks, with its stations at West Demerara. He said plans are in train to run submarine lines across the Demerara River to link the Kingston and the Versailles Power stations. Power lines will then connect the Edinburgh sub station on the West Coast Demerara to Versailles, increasing power capacity in that area.
GPL continues to urge consumers to conserve electricity, particularly during the evening peak as the company makes a concerted effort to alleviate the frequent power outages.