….will bring over 150 megawatts to West Demerara
GUYANA Power and Light Incorporated (GWI), as part of the Chinese US$42M Infrastructure Development Project, yesterday commenced laying of a submarine cable from the New Kingston Plant, in the city, to the Demerara River to be linked to the West Coast Demerara sub-station at Vreed-en-Hoop. GPL’s Chief Executive Officer, Bharat Dindyal, yesterday told reporters at the Kingston New Plant that a special corps of technicians was brought in to the country to lay the cable.
Dindyal said that the laying of the cable will take about 20 days, and there will be challenges as the channel is an active one, with vessels traversing the river back and forth.

He disclosed that the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) has sent out an advisory for all seafarers and vessels to be aware of the fact that the works are going on.
The GPL CEO yesterday told reporters that with the laying of the submarine cable, the West Demerara will see an improvement in the quality and reliability of power supply.
In addition, he noted that with the brand new 36 megawatt plant at Kingston, coupled with other capacity in Demerara, GPL will deliver all the required power to West Demerara.
Dindyal said that the operation cost of the submarine cable is in excess of US$5M; but the entire project costs US$42M, funded through a loan from the Chinese.
When completed, the $42M infrastructure development project at Kingston will have the capacity to deliver over 150 megawatts to West Demerara.
He said, “Many decades ago, the then Guyana Electricity Corporation had a 12 KV cable connecting the power station here to the West Demerara, but it was damaged by a ship’s anchor.
“ This submarine cable that is being laid will be sunk to three and half meters below the bed of the Demerara River; and in the channel we are trying to sink it deeper to about seven meters, to ensure that it is well protected from rogue ships. “This area is not designated for anchoring vessels; but of course you know there are incidents where ships may have broken from their mooring and dropped anchor; if this happens, the cable will be out of the way.”
He said as GPL lays its cable, the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company is making use of the opportunity for the laying of their fibre optic cable to allow them, at a minimal cost, to use the excavation across the river bed to lay a fibre optic cable for their purposes.
The GPL CEO told reporters also that the new Kingston Plant will be expanded to provide inter-connection to West Demerara, and a new certified MVA transformer purchased by GPL will be connected and commissioned after expansion of the Kingston sub-station for the city.
He said that a total of 70 MVA transformer capacity at the Kingston Plant, coupled with the 250MVa sub-station capacity and under the Chinese infrastructural development project, there will be an added 117MVA in six new sub-stations, which will significantly boost supply for consumers.
Dindyal explained that the seven new sub-stations in Sophia, Greater Georgetown, cannot have transformers but have transmission facilities. Of the six sub-stations, two are located on the West Demerara, one in the city, one on the East Bank Demerara, and two on the East Coast Demerara.
He said, “We are hoping that progress will be sustained this year; and, as planned, by mid next year, when all these works have been completed, West Demerara would be integrated with East Demerara, and Demerara with the Berbice systems; all will be inter-connections.