Under fire for frequent blackouts, GPL has begun long-awaited repairs to its vital submarine cable across the Demerara River which suffered damage in June and August this year.
A GPL press release follows:
The Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL) has commenced remedial work on the damaged 69 kV submarine cable which links the Vreed-en-Hoop (VEH) and Kingston Substations.
The armour and insulation protection of the cable which extends to the conductors was damaged at two locations in June and August by vessels traversing the Demerara River. Due to the extent of the damages, two repair kits had to be sourced from China National Machinery Import & Export Corporation (CMC), the company that laid the cable in 2012.
Repairs to the cable were delayed due to the discovery of the second damage in August, which required additional diagnosis and testing. Consequently, both kits were manufactured and shipped to Guyana. Following the arrival of the kits, the contractor, CMC immediately commenced work to retrieve and repair the compromised sections of the cable, approximately 0.7 and 0.8 km offshore the Kingston Power Plant.
Upon completion, the cable will be reenergized to transfer power generated by the VEH Plant to supply the Eastern Section of the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS).
Additionally, as a preventative measure, the cable will be reburied in the Demerara River to a depth of approximately 15 feet.
As part of GPL’s contingency response to the damaged cable, a smaller 13.8 kV submarine cable was laid across the Demerara River in June, to transfer 5.5 Megawatt of power from the VEH Power Plant.