The Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) has assured its customers that it remains committed to providing reliable electricity supply during the holiday season.
According to a press release on Monday, the utility company however went on to acknowledge that despite its efforts to ensure adequate generation, the inadequacies within its aged Transmission and Distribution (T&D) network continues to pose problems. That being said, GPL, despite the circumstances, declared that it would continue to make the most of the existing assets through proactive maintenance and prudent operational practices.
GPL says it would be concluding its pre-planned maintenance activities on the T&D network on December 8 but will continue to ensure that any issues that could cause potential widespread outages during the holidays are addressed. The corporation warns however, that this may mean having localised outages for shorter periods of time. GPL apologised for such situations but stated that they are a necessary inconvenience given the vulnerabilities of the T&D network.
GPL has issued the following breakdown of available generation and projected demand for the areas it serves. It should be noted, it says, that in most instances the distribution network is radial and failure of any one component may result in service interruption to customers. It however assures that every effort will be made to prevent these failures and to act promptly if they occur.
Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS)
The current available generation capacity within the DBIS is 137 Megawatt (MW). Efforts are being made to maximise available generation capacity by, among other things, bringing back into operation generating units that were unavailable due to scheduled maintenance. Peak demand for this year has thus far hit 124.6 MW, which is about 7% higher than the peak for last year.
Essequibo & Islands
Anna Regina
The three units at the Anna Regina Power Plant provide a total of 5.4 MW. GPL has also maintained three Caterpillar units with total capacity of 3.8 MW to complement the three new sets. Peak demand is currently 5.3 MW and is expected to increase over time. The plan is to add a fourth 1.8 Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) fired unit, which has been provided for at the current site, and a new 5 MW block by 2021.
Bartica
There will be 5.2 MW of generation available to provide customers in Bartica with an adequate power supply to meet the peak demand of approximately 1.6 MW.
Leguan
Currently available at Leguan are units with an aggregate capacity of 0.8 MW. These units can adequately supply the peak demand of approximately 0.3 MW.
Wakenaam
Wakenaam currently has a peak demand of approximately 0.3 MW and customers can expect adequate power generation with an available capacity of 0.97 MW.
