The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) yesterday staged the symbolic turning of the sod ceremony for the commencement of the US$42M Chinese-funded transmission and distribution project aimed at upgrading lines and sub-stations with a view to replacing decrepit infrastructure. The sod-turning took place on Mandela Avenue on a plot of land next to the North Ruimveldt Multilateral School.

Prime Minister Sam Hinds said the event was a milestone one for the country for the supply of electricity. He said that there were some additions to the design of the project which led to an increase of the final price of the bid.

He said too that it took some time for the additional components to be approved by the government for financing, with the coming into being of hydropower in a few years being one of those considerations. “Now the way has been cleared for the rapid progress in the project,” said Mr. Hinds. Hinds said the project will enhance the services offered by the GPL.

He noted that of all the bids received, China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation (CMC) was the lowest and therefore the one that was successful.

Senior Divisional Director of GPL, Colin Singh, said that there have been few major changes in the transmission and distribution systems in Guyana since the Guyana Electricity Corporation came into being.

He said that to meet the growth in demand experienced since 1992, there has been some investment in power generation. He said that except for the installation of a 69 KV link in the 1970s and 1980s, in Demerara and Berbice, some work in Kingston in 2009 and in Skeldon in 2010, there has not been any significant investment in transmission and distribution systems.

According to Singh, since the 1970s, there have been no additional distribution feeders except for some minor ones which had been at their limit. He said since that time, the load on the feeders has increased 100 percent. He said because of the situation, in 2007, government approached the Chinese Government for funding of a project.

He said that as housing development began to take place, the power company faced pressure to expand its network. He said in Demerara and Berbice, peak demand grew from 60 megawatt in 1992 to 94 megawatt today.

Charge D’Affaires at the Chinese Embassy in Guyana, Li Qinfeng, speaking in place of Chinese Ambassador Yu Wenzhe, said the project is a huge one and that he was pleased to be taking part of the sod turning.

“Infrastructure links people to services and supports economic activity and the delivery of health and education services,” he said.

He added that the power infrastructure will play a role in lifting the standard of living for people.

He said in the past four decades, cooperation between Guyana and China has been characterized by unity and development.

Speaking at the ceremony, Project Director Jin Huibao of CMC said he and his company are very proud to have been considered for the project.

He said that the project will have many new features not before seen in Guyana. One of these is that the substations will be able to run on their own without any need for personnel on the site. He pointed out that the most complicated parts of the project will be at the beginning and the end of it.

The Project Director said that his company will work to deliver a sound project to GPL and Guyana.