GPL going after contractor after another excavator sparks major power outage

The Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) will be pursuing costs from S. Joseph Transportation and Machinery Rentals, after one of its excavators damaged a transmission line, causing widespread power outage on Monday.
According to a statement from the power company, at around 10:17h, the L1 Transmission Line, which interconnects the Garden of Eden and Grove Substations, experienced a system disturbance. The disturbance resulted in the Garden of Eden and Grove Substations going offline, creating an estimated 37-megawatt deficit on the network. This led to widespread service interruptions across sections of Demerara and Berbice, leaving thousands of customers without electricity supply.
Following a line inspection, GPL’s technical teams determined that an excavator operating at Grove, East Bank Demerara, came into contact with the transmission line, causing damage to critical transmission infrastructure and triggering the disturbance.
The excavator was being operated by Garfield Hinds at the time of the incident.
According to GPL, repowering efforts commenced immediately following the disturbance, with teams working diligently to safely restore electricity supply to affected customers. Restoration progressed incrementally until the final affected area was successfully repowered at approximately 11:37h, the company said.
Compensation
GPL said it has since commenced a formal investigation into the disturbance and the circumstances surrounding the incident. Additionally, it noted that the contractor responsible will be pursued for compensation to recover the costs associated with damages caused to the transmission infrastructure.
In its statement, GPL reminded contractors and members of the public that any excavation, construction, or heavy-duty operations near the company’s transmission and distribution infrastructure must be properly coordinated to ensure safety and protect the reliability of the electricity network.
“Unauthorized or unsafe activities near GPL’s infrastructure can result in significant service disruptions, damage to critical assets, and pose serious risks to public safety,” the power company cautioned.

$30M
Just last month, GPL said it was seeking over $30 million from construction company, China Railway First Group (Guyana) Incorporated, after it caused damages to a transmission line whilst conducting works at Sophia, Greater Georgetown.
That incident had also resulted in widespread power outage countrywide.
GPL’s investigations confirmed that an excavator came into direct contact with the L10 Transmission Line linking the New Georgetown and Sophia Substations, resulting in a significant disruption of electricity supply to tens of thousands of customers across multiple communities.
GPL had given the company 14 days to make the payment. Up to press time, it is unclear if the sums were paid.

Accountable
In recent years, there have been mounting concerns about the repeated damage to utility infrastructure, especially by road construction works as well as by vehicular accidents.
In March, during a hearing before the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) Chairman Dr Nanda Gopaul had called for those responsible to be held financially accountable for the damages they caused.
In response, GPL’s team leader, Kesh Nandlall, had explained that the power company has been working with the Police force to ensure those offenders face legal action.