The Ministry of Public Infrastructure and the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc yesterday commissioned a 5.5-Megawatt (MW) generator at the Canefield power station in East Canje, Berbice.
The project, which is estimated to have cost US$8.5 million, is expected to see a more reliable power supply in the region.
Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson, at the commissioning ceremony, said that the decision to install the engine was made since 2015, after the power station was identified as one which needed strengthening. In delivering the feature address, he also revealed that based on a request from him, the Chief Executive Officer of GPL is examining the possibility of installing solar streetlights with WiFi capabilities.
“This is a pilot project which we will be trying to unveil so that we can work with the Ministry of Public Telecommunications so that we can not only brighten up your lives in your communities, we can actually lend connectivity, to particularly, to remote areas,” he said. He further said that one of the reasons for adding additional generating power to GPL is because he, along with his junior minister, have embarked on a nationwide exercise to install streetlights around the country over the last 12 months.
Lyndon Edwards, Project Manager at GPL, who gave the brief overview of the expansion project, said that the Canefield power station is part of the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System, which is a series of power stations linked by “69,000 volts transmission lines from Sophia to Skeldon.”
He said the Canefield station had a generating capacity of 4.5 MW, which was provided by a 40-plus years old Blackstone engine, which had accumulated 130,000 running hours “… and even with the best of maintenance, its reliable operation could not be guaranteed.”
As a result, the supply of power to the Berbice region was heavily dependent on the power transferred from other stations on the interconnected system, “and as a consequence, on the integrity 69 KV transmission lines.”
In order to alleviate the situation, the installation of a 5.5 MW engine was initiated. “International bidders (were) invited to tender for an engineering, procurement and construction contract for the construction of an additional 5.5 MW heavy fuel oil power generation station at Canefield and this was in June of 2016,” Edwards recounted.
According to the project manager, after evaluating six international bidders, the contract was awarded in June 2017 to ESD Engineering & Service SRL, which is based in Dominica. He added that works on the ground started in December of 2017.
Edwards said that the foundation work for the power house to accommodate the engine and the switch gear, along with other components, was executed by a local contractor, Home Designs and Associates, under the leadership of Green Ferdinand with supervision by ESD contractor, Anthony Palanco.
He added that factory testing of the 5.5 MW engine was carried out in South Korea in March, 2018, which was witnessed by GPL personnel. He also revealed that a reliability and performance test was successfully accomplished on September 19th, 2018, while the plant was officially put into initial commercial operation on 24th September last year.
‘A lot has been done’
Meanwhile, Patterson highlighted the timeframe for the implementation of the expansion project, adding that “despite all that you or other persons may say or want to make you believe that nothing is being done, a lot has been done.”
Patterson further noted, “Our last major project was almost a disaster. I think we still have claims outstanding almost five years on since it was commissioned and I’m speaking about the Vreed-en-hoop installation. When I assumed office, that project, we were trucking, trucking fuel to power that plant; something about like $10 million a month for several months.”
He then confirmed that the plant is now working efficiently. “Going forward as we have demonstrated with this plant here, we will ensure that we do have a very good sound work programme and we gon mitigate against any unforeseen occurrences,” he said.
According to the Minister, the expansion of the Canefield power plant is one of three commissionings expected to be done in the first half of this year. “In a week’s time, we will be commissioning a plant in Anna Regina and then shortly after that, we will be commissioning a plant in Bartica, which is in keeping with our commitment,” he said.
Additionally, he stated that the generating plants are only part of GPL’s overall programme to upgrade the electricity sector. “We have ongoing, the company has ongoing, the power utility upgrade programme,” he said. The minister observed that the programme entails upgrading the transmission and distribution network. “We have an aged transmission and distribution network which we have to upgrade because in the end, all these new plants will come to nothing if we can’t deliver the power and a cheap reliable rate to our customers,” he said.
Ferry
Meanwhile, touching on oil and gas, Patterson said that government will be looking to bring natural gas to shore to power GPL’s generating sets. “We will be looking to replace all our engines with dual fuel as well as to install additional generating capacity, which will all be powered by natural gas. It is anticipated that this will be done in the next 18 months to two years, and it is anticipated that they will increase our installed capacity by 180 megawatts, and of course with natural gas comes a deduction in cost to our consumers, which we do hope will push and propel this region, in particular,” he said.
Patterson further said that in order to transition to 100 per cent renewable energy, the ministry along with GPL has embarked on such projects. “We will be installing 30 megawatts of solar with storage into the Demerara interconnected grid. We also will be installing 10 megawatts of wind into the grid. I know we are looking (at) three locations for 10 megawatts each for our solar and we are also in discussion with the People’s Republic of China to put four megawatts in Kuru Kururu, so within the next 12 to 18 months, we will be augmenting our generating sets with solar power,” he said.
The minister also highlighted several roads and streets that are budgeted for works, and also spoke about bringing back a ferry service to Berbice. “In keeping with a commitment to this region, we will bring back, as soon as the new ferry for the North West route is in operation, we will be putting back a service from along the Berbice River,” he said.
