GPL Substation on track for April 2021 completion

FIVE new dual-fuel generating sets which are expected to boost the power supply of the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS) by 46.5 Megawatts (MW) have arrived at the Garden of Eden Power Plant.

The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) US$41 million investment arrived on November 5.
Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, during a visit to the East Bank Demerara power plant, on Wednesday, disclosed that works are on schedule for the completion of the project by April 2021.

The minister stated that this is an instrumental project for both the country and GPL.
Minister Indar explained that while all five generator sets are at the power plant, there are several other components that would be needed to complete the project. Several civil works have to be completed as part of the project, he added.

“For the size and weight there is a certain vibration that goes along with the generators’ operation so there needs to be a particular below surface civil works. That is currently being done… Additionally the place where the sets are to be located is completed, but the interconnection is still to be done, and all of these works take time to be done correctly. But the works [are] still on track with the timeline we had,” he explained.

He reminded that currently GPL falls short of the total reserves needed in the system and added that the 46.5 megawatts that will be added will be in keeping with the government’s commitment to providing a more effective and accessible electricity system.

Additionally, he stated that, with the new addition, the power company would be able to adequately handle the electricity demand.
Minister Indar said the new system would ensure revolving capacity to allow for maintenance of the other sets that were previously in GPL’s power plants.

UPGRADES
GPL, according to the minister is cognizant of the capacity of its current transmission line and is already looking into ways to have those upgraded to facilitate this new system.
“What will happen, too, when [these] sets go in is we are faced with an old transmission line and when you generate power it goes through the transmission line. We are aware that those transmission lines need upgrading so GPL is already looking to ensure that they put in enough upgrading to the transmission line so the power can move from transmission to disseminate in the households and businesses,” he said.

The minister reminded that the 46.5 megawatts will be added to 5 megawatts that the government recently procured from Giftland.
Further, he informed that government is set to receive another 10 megawatts in early November.

SIGNIFICANT

Meanwhile, GPL’s CEO, Albert Gordon, called the project significant for not just Guyana, but also for the company. He explained that this is the largest project the company has embarked on since its establishment.

According to Gordon, with this project the country will save a lot of money since power generation costs will decrease.
He explained that the plant is strategically located at GPL’s Garden of Eden location which is on the other side of the submarine cable, thereby allowing for balance in electricity distribution if the submarine cable goes out.

“With this plant, if we lose the submarine cable the system would stay up because we have enough capacity to balance the demand on the site, so this is important because we would not have to try to source from several other plants,” said Gordon.

Further, the CEO stated that the plant is the beginning of the transition to natural gas, which will see a reduced cost to both the company and the businesses and households that utilise electricity from the company.

He said the generators have already been tested and can work with both natural gas and liquid fuel.
“For this plant we will burn fuel oil and natural gas and it will burn natural gas very efficiently in terms of how many [British Thermal Units] BTUs in the fuel that is converted to kilowatt-hours, more than anything else we have in the system, and that will [result in] reduced cost incurred by customers,” explained Gordon.
The Divisional Director of Engineering Services, Ryan Ross, informed that the project is 58% complete. This includes the purchasing, the shipping, the logistics and putting all the pieces together, he said, adding that the team does not foresee any major issues that would shift or extend the timeline.
Additionally, Ross stated that the project is especially significant for GPL.

He informed that it has paved the way for two million gallons of fuel storage capacity upon completion of the project.
Ross added that the upgrading of the substation on the transmission distribution side is also a first for the company. This, he said is being done to ensure the company can have an efficient offtake and dispatch of the 46.5 megawatts.