Blackouts for city, other areas now as GPL woes continue

Sections of Georgetown, the East Bank Demerara and Berbice were scheduled for a five-hour blackout this evening as a result of the de-energising of the submarine cable which links the Kingston and Vreed-en-Hoop stations.

The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) made this announcement this evening, disclosing at the same time that last night, the submarine cable which links the Kingston and Vreed-en-Hoop Stations developed a suspected fault at  sections located approximately 0.5 km offshore from its Kingston operations. GPL said that while investigations and consequent remedial work are being effected, the cable will remain de-energized.

It said that the Vreed-en-Hoop operation supplies an average of 14MWs of electricity to the Kingston operation for further utilization within the eastern half of the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS). In the absence of the submarine cable, GPL said that it is unable to transfer this capacity to the eastern half of the DBIS.

Further, two generating sets at the Kingston Power Plant are unavailable due to maintenance requirements. 

As a result of this, a load shedding exercise is being temporarily instituted this evening, GPL said, from 18:00 hrs to 23:00hrs and will affect the following customers.

BERBICE

Auchlyne to # 53

Bygeval to Seafield

GEORGETOWN

Festival City, North Ruimveldt, South Ruimveldt Park and Gardens,  Lamaha Springs, Stevedore, Tucville, GuyHoc Park, Lamaha  Park,  PP QQ Scheme, Roxanne Burnham Gardens & GuyHoc Gardens.

EAST BANK DEMERARA

Garden of Eden to Soesdyke Junction

Soesdyke Junction to Yarrowkabra on the Linden Highway

 

GPL says that it has mobilised a team comprising of officials from the company, deep water divers and others to urgently assess the situation. “Our Company remains cognizant of the inconveniences associated with this load shedding exercise and will endeavour to minimize the duration”, GPL said.

 

GPL  has come in for growing criticism over numerous power interruptions occasioned by faults on the transmission and distribution system among other problems.