Grid upgrade works reviewed as GPL, contractors push coordination

Director General of the Public Utilities and Aviation Ministry, Alfonso De Armas on Wednesday met with senior officials of Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) and contractors involved in major electricity infrastructure works to review project progress and improve coordination.

De Armas said the meeting involved a detailed review of ongoing works, including feeders, substations and transmission lines across Regions Four, Five and Six.
The projects are part of efforts to strengthen and modernise the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System, which supplies electricity to a significant portion of the country.
Representatives from Kalpataru Projects International Limited, PowerChina International, China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation, InterEnergy and Capital Energy Partners participated in the meeting.
The Director General, in a social media post said discussions focused on ensuring greater coordination among the various entities involved in the projects and monitoring progress across the different components of the works.
The infrastructure upgrades are intended to improve the reliability and resilience of the electricity network as Guyana’s demand for power continues to grow.
While the projects involve technical components such as feeders, substations and transmission lines, De Armas said the ultimate measure of their success would be the reliability of electricity supplied to consumers.
“None of this registers with the average person as a substation or a feeder, of course. What registers is whether the lights stay on, and that is what all of this work is ultimately being judged by,” he said in a post published online.