Land acquired for new substations after studies- GPL Ag. CEO

DPI, Guyana, Friday, August 4, 2017

The Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL) is on the verge of constructing four new substations to improve electricity distribution across Guyana.

Acting Chief Executive Officer, GPL, Renford Homer told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that GPL has already identified land at Hydronie, East Bank, Essequibo, Wales, West Bank, Demerara, Kuru-Kuru, Linden Soesdyke Highway and Williamsburg, Corentyne, Berbice

Homer explained that those areas were chosen utilising reports from studies carried out by consultants. “This is not something that GPL unilaterally pronounced on. When we’re going to make such major investments we want to ensure they are going into the right places and so the study was conducted by a German firm. There is also a study that was conducted at the time when the country had gained significant momentum going towards the commissioning of our first major hydro power project.”

During 2016, GPL had injected some $3B for the construction of the new substations. GPL also used its own capacity to make determinations on how to improve and expand its network.

“Our mandate is to deliver a certain quality of service, 24/7, I don’t think that people’s frustration when those things (power outages) happen could be considered unfair. There are things we know as a company we need to do to be able to actually deliver that quality of service continuously,” Homer stressed.

According to the Acting CEO the power company currently has approximately 187,000 customers and foresees a three percent growth which could result in small reduction in total losses in voltage. Therefore, the company is working to improve the quality of service offered.

The substations at Kingston and Sophia, Georgetown, Columbia and Good Hoop, East Coast, Demerara, Vreed-en-Hoop, West Bank, Demerara, and Number 53 Village, Corentyne, Berbice will also be expanded to improve service to residents in those communities. Some $1.4B will be utilised for these works.

The company is also working to acquire its redundancy lines which would be used in event of shutdowns.

 

By: Ranetta La Fleur