Work on Bartica power station to commence month end

DPI, GUYANA, Thursday, March 15, 2018

Construction of a 3.3 megawatts power station in Bartica in Cuyuni-Mazaruni (Region Seven), is expected to begin by the end of March.

The estimated $660M power station will be constructed at Dogg Point, Agatash and will replace the current one which is experiencing technical difficulties. The new station will be equipped with three new generators that will distribute electricity at 13.8 kilobytes.

The current power station in the market area, in Bartica.

At a meeting with a team of engineers and officials from the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), Regional Chairman, Gordon Bradford and other regional representatives, Project Engineer, Julien Reddi explained that the project comes under GPL’s Development and Expansion (D&E) programme. He added that the D&E programme aims to improve the quality of service provided to customers as well as the working conditions of employees.

According to Reddi, the current power plant has outlived its lifecycle.

He further explained, “it causes noise pollution and with Bartica now being a town we’re looking to remove the plant to a more outlying area from the main township to reduce the noise pollution that residents have complained about over the years.”

“The present power plant is crammed and doesn’t have much space for future expansion and this new location provides an opportunity for future expansion.”

According to the Engineer, the scope of the project includes a structure to house the three generators, control room, facilities for employees, fuel wharf to facilitate the delivery of fuel directly to the plant via a boat, and a shallow well for water, which will be installed with support from the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI).

An oil-water separator is a new addition to the project, which will guarantee that the water is treated and separated before being released into the environment. Residential silencers will also be installed in the engines to lessen the noise nuisance.

It was also highlighted that the power station is expected to operate alongside the much-anticipated solar farm to be constructed in Bartica; thereby ensuring residents experience the minimum of power outages.

This initiative was well received by Regional Chairman, Bradford who noted that the long-awaited intervention will eliminate the frequent power outages in the township.

“I know we have been back and forth, but we understand that things take time because we might rush to complete it and get a poor quality, so it’s best for us to take our time so that at the end of it the people get what they deserve,” he said.

Careful consideration was made during the designing of the project to prevent environmental risks or hazards during its execution and operation. GPL’s Safety Health and Environmental Officer, Stacey Phillips said emphasis was placed on ensuring that the bond walls are constructed to withstand the capacity of the tanks in case of accidental releases.

“In doing so, accidental releases will be contained on site so it would not go into rivers or internal drains. However, if it does occur the project caters for material to clean up them internally so they wouldn’t affect residents,” Phillips explained.

The project’s duration is for six months and it will be actively monitored. GPL is focusing on apprising the relevant stakeholders and beneficiaries of the new project through the social management component of the project.

Public Relation Officer at GPL, Shevion Sears said the social management component entails before, during, and after stages. “In the ‘before-phase’ we engage the Regional Chairman and other stakeholders to enlighten you of your roles to the get the people on board with the project. In the ‘during-phase’ we will apprise them of what is happening, find out problems they may have and how to fix them and the ‘after-phase’ is the feedback part where we find out if the project was successful, if they’re (residents) satisfied and if they are really enjoying the benefits we said they would,” Sears underlined.

The team of engineers and officials from GPL who met with Regional Chairman, Gordon Bradford and other regional representatives to discuss the project.

Regional Chairman, Gordon Bradford and GPL officials visit the site where the power station will be constructed.

 

 

By: Ranetta La Fleur

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