–new high-voltage lines, substations and control centre to strengthen reliability and capacity

THE Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) is advancing a major expansion and modernisation of the national electricity network, with new high-voltage transmission infrastructure, substations and a National Control Centre being developed to increase capacity, strengthen reliability and support the integration of additional generation.

The progress was highlighted during a media tour of several major GPL infrastructural projects, including the new Goedverwagting Substation, the Guyana National Control Centre, and sites for new substations at Enmore, Chateau Margot and Columbia.

The visit to the various sites was led by Head of GPL’s Executive Management Committee, Kesh Nandlall; Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Bharat Harjohn and Director Ryan Ross.

During the visit, it was disclosed that these projects form part of GPL’s broader infrastructural development programme, which is being undertaken separately from the gas-to-energy generation component and is intended to provide the transmission and distribution capacity needed to deliver additional electricity to consumers.

At Goedverwagting, GPL is constructing infrastructure capable of accommodating 230 kilovolt (kV) and 69 kV systems.

The substation will serve as a key point in the expansion of the high-voltage transmission network and will facilitate the movement of bulk power from the 300-megawatt natural-gas-fired power plant at Wales, West Bank Demerara, across the national grid.

The high-voltage system is necessary to move electricity over long distances while reducing technical losses.

“We’re transmitting power at a high voltage, so we can reduce the technical losses,” Harjohn told members of the press.

The Goedverwagting facility will step down the 230 kV electricity to 69 kV, allowing it to interconnect with existing substations, before electricity is further reduced to distribution voltages for delivery to homes and businesses.

The expansion is being supported by approximately 155 kilometres of 230 kV double-circuit transmission lines linking Goedverwagting to a new substation at Williamsburg in Region Six.

Further, GPL is also constructing approximately 167 kilometres of 69 kV double-circuit transmission lines to replace existing infrastructure along the railway embankment.

Significant work is already visible along the transmission corridor, with several monopoles erected for the 69 kV line and construction of foundations for the 230 kV transmission line underway.

INTERCONNECTED SYSTEM

The network will also include new substations at Williamsburg and other locations, forming an interconnected system capable of moving electricity further across the country.

According to Nandlall, the Goedverwagting facility is expected to become a major hub for the transmission network on that side of the Berbice River, with the infrastructure eventually extending towards Region Six and allowing customers connected to the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS) to access additional generation.

The infrastructure is also being designed with greater redundancy, aimed at reducing the impact of equipment failures and maintenance activities on customers.

“In all our future infrastructural projects, we are building redundancy so that if we’re ready to take on one of these transformers, we have another one there,” he said.

Under the approach, if one transmission line or transformer experiences a fault, the system will be capable of switching to an alternative route, reducing the likelihood of widespread interruptions.

The modernisation programme extends beyond physical transmission infrastructure. At the new National Control Centre, GPL is establishing a central facility that will provide greater visibility and control over the national electricity system.

The centre is being equipped with a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system and fibre-optic communications linking substations and power plants. This will allow operators to monitor power flows, equipment and disturbances across the network in real time.

Harjohn went on to note that, “This is like the brain of this grid. So, all the information that is from all the power flow, the disturbances that can occur on the grid, we’ll be able to see here and be able to make decisions.”

The first phase of the control centre’s operations will focus on monitoring the transmission network and substations.

A subsequent phase is expected to extend monitoring and management capabilities further into the distribution network, including feeders, transformers and eventually customer-level infrastructure.

Against this backdrop, it was said that the long-term objective is to move towards a fully functional smart grid, allowing the utility to identify faults more quickly and, where possible, automate responses.

“If you get power outage, we can see it instantaneously. If a feeder goes down anywhere, or if a line goes down anywhere, we can see that instantaneously, and we can fix it,” Nandlall highlighted.

Further, the control centre itself is also being developed as a smart facility, with a central building management system controlling functions including lighting, cooling, security, water systems and other equipment.

This centre is expected to be operationalised later this year, with the company working towards transferring its operations from the existing temporary control centre.

The facility is expected to operate around the clock, with provisions designed to ensure that critical personnel can remain on site for extended periods in the event access to the facility is disrupted.

Meanwhile, construction at the Enmore, Chateau Margot and Columbia substation sites is currently at the foundation stage.

Together, the projects are intended to increase transmission capacity, accommodate additional generation, strengthen network resilience and improve the reliability of electricity supply as demand continues to grow.

The infrastructural expansion is particularly significant as GPL prepares to integrate additional generation into the national grid.

The new high-voltage network is being developed to transport bulk electricity efficiently over longer distances, while the new substations will facilitate the transfer of that power into existing and expanded distribution networks.