Even as the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) prepares to integrate its Good Hope Sub Station into the current Demerara Interconnected System, its service in Berbice has been severely affected by an accident.
In one of two separate press releases issued yesterday, GPL announced that energizing the newly constructed transmission at 69kV line at Good Hope and final checks to ensure full functionality of the breakers and protective devices within the substation will be completed by tomorrow.
Completion of these activities and employment of the four new distribution feeders at the substation will result in consumers from Sophia to Bygeval being served by shorter feeders with a resultant improvement in the quality of electricity supply, GPL said.
During the exercise, it said, customers within the areas mentioned should to report any irregularities in voltage to the company’s Call Center on telephone 226 4015/16.
The operation of the Good Hope Substation, one of the scheduled seven new Substations, is part of GPL’s Infrastructure Development Programme aimed at improving the quality of electricity supply to its customers, the release said.
It added that some of the benefits customers are expected to experience as a result of the operation of the Substations include: improved voltage levels due to the shorter lengths of distribution lines, improved system stability, reduced disruption of service supply and easier detection of faults within the system during emergencies.
In the second release, GPL said that electricity supply in Berbice was disrupted yesterday as a result of extensive structural damage caused by a vessel that ran into the company’s pump house at Canefield Power Station. Consequently, the raw water pumps that provide cooling water for the two Mirrlees Diesel Generators are inoperable and the machines are out of service. In the absence of the 9MW capacity provided by these generators, GPL said, it will be unable to satisfy energy requirements during the peak demand period from 18:00 hrs to 23:00 hrs.
Apologising for the inconvenience caused, and thanking customers for their tolerance, the company said it was making every effort to have the situation rectified as soon as possible, even while the structural repairs are ongoing.
In the meantime, load shedding will be conducted during hours of peak demand, possibly over the next two days, the release said. It urged customers to conserve electricity during peak period to assist in the quality of electricity supplied.
Today, Onverwagt to Ithaca and Republic Road New Amsterdam will be without power between 18:00 hrs and 23:00 hrs. Tomorrow, Canje to Auchlyne will be without power from 18:00 hrs to 23:00 hrs, the release said.
