THE Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), on Monday, installed a 48kWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) as a replacement for an obsolete 47.04kWh BESS at the St. Cuthbert’s Mission Secondary School, Pakuri, along the Linden Soesdyke Highway.

According to the Department of Public Information (DPI), this initiative saw 135 students and 11 teachers benefitting from a stable and reliable supply of electricity, which will enhance the delivery of the school’s daily learning activities. The students and teachers expressed gratitude for this initiative.

They said that it will allow them to use their well-resourced computer laboratory to complete their School Based Assessments (SBAs) and access study materials as well as examination notifications and results online.
Pakuri has an electricity mini-grid network supplied by a 135kVA diesel-fuelled generator. Owing to high fuel costs, electricity is only provided for four hours daily during the early evening hours.

While a section of the community’s residents and small businesses needs are satisfied by this source of electricity, this does not benefit the students or teachers as the timing of the supply falls outside of the usual school hours.

The GEA, in exercising its mandate, therefore, provided support to the school for the procurement, transport and installation of the replacement battery bank.

The batteries were procured at a cost of $1,661,120. The battery bank includes 16 batteries configured in a 48Vdc, 1,000Ah arrangement.
The installed hybrid PV system provides clean and renewable electricity supply to the school, dormitory and teachers’ quarters. Its operation will result in the avoidance of an estimated 5.07 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.