Electricity generators to undergo “staggered” maintenance; new transmission-distribution network in pipeline

Last Updated on Tuesday, 31 December 2024, 22:25 by Writer

Several electricity generators that serve the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS), stretching from Parika to Moleson Creek, are to be taken off-grid for long overdue maintenance and repairs, now that there is surplus generation partly due to the two rented power ships, President Irfaan Ali said Tuesday.

“We have to slowly take these generators out now because we have this capacity now so that we can have them maintained and placed back in the system so really you don’t have much room,” he said. He said the maintenance of the generators would be done in a “staggered” manner to avoid a shortfall in electricity generation.

Warning the generators “can go down anytime”, he said 18 generators that should cater for 115 megawatts (MW) installed capacity required urgent maintenance since the second half of 2024 but was rescheduled until there was sufficient “spinning reserve” now at 27 MW to ensure reliable supply. “Several generators that constitute this 267 MW have exceeded their scheduled major overhaul…Many of the existing generators that are in the system, they have gone past their time for overhaul because we did not have the capacity in the system to pull them down,” he said.

The President said electricity generation has increased from 207 MW to 267 MW after the commissioning of the second power ship in December. Current consumption is 119 MW with peaks of 205 MW in October and November, 2024.

As Guyana prepares for the eventual injection of 300 MW into the power grid from the natural gas-fired power plant at Wales, West Bank Demerara, Dr Ali said efforts were underway to build a new US$750 million transmission and distribution network spanning Regions 3 (West Demerara-Essequibo Islands), 4 (Demerara-Mahaica), 5 (Mahaicony-West Berbice) and 6 (East Berbice-Corentyne). “There’s a major plan in 2025 to address the transmission and distribution system,” he said.

The President detailed that that project would entail the construction of a 155 kilometre double-circuit transmission line, 214 kilometres of 69 KV transmission line and 343 kilometres of private distribution lines, nine 69 KV stations in Kuru Kururu, Hydronie in Parika, Georgetown, La Bonne Intention (LBI), Enmore and Number 53 Village.

Also in the works are the upgrade and expansion of the New Georgetown, Garden of Eden, Kingston, Onverwagt, Edinburgh, Good Hope and Colombia sub-stations. Also on the cards is the construction of two 230 69 KV substations in Williamsburg and Trafalgar, four capacitor banks for voltage regulation, 30 MWh one hour battery storage system, and two kilometre 69 KV double-circuit transmission lines under the Demerara River to link the Vreed-en-Hoop and Kingston Power Stations to replace the existing submarine cable. “This is important if we are to dredge the river to achieve the draft that is necessary to make this river competitive because right now the draught is very low and only a certain size of ships can come in so this is an important project from a GPL (Guyana Power and Light) perspective and from a commerce perspective,” he said.