“We are on target” – PM on 2nd power ship connection for Christmas

…says testing within 48 hours

Ongoing preparatory works to connect the new 75-megawatt (MW) power ship to the national grid are in its final stages and according to Prime Minister, Brigadier {Ret’d) Mark Phillips, testing will be done soon with the aim of delivering power by Christmas.

On Sunday, PM Phillips conducted a site visit at the New Georgetown Substation on Mandela Avenue and at the newly-arrived power ship that is docked in the Demerara River in the vicinity of Ruimveldt, Georgetown.
During his inspection of the ongoing works to connect the power ship to the national grid, the Prime Minister was accompanied by Team Leader of Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc, Kesh Nandlall, along with UCC Americas Director, Antonio Neto; members of GPL Executive Management Team; technical teams from GPL and Kalpataru Projects International Limited (KPIL) – the contractor working on the installation of the transmission line.
The power ship is being connected to the grid via 3.9 kilometres of double-circuit 69 kilovolt (kV) transmission line. Supported by approximately 22 pole structures, the power ship will inject electricity at the New Georgetown Substation, with additional distribution to the Sophia substation.
In the initial phase, the floating power plant will supply 60 MW of electricity to the national grid and then a further 15 MW to follow in its second phase.
Prime Minister Phillips, during Sunday’s visit, expressed confidence in the project’s progress, saying it was a “a commendable effort” to get the infrastructure ready to evacuate the power from the vessel into the grid within weeks.
“Based on the briefing I received this morning [Sunday]; we are on target. Soon we’ll be connecting the ship, and the power will be available as planned for Christmas,” Phillips said at the site on Sunday.
The Prime Minister, who has responsibility for the country’s energy sector, later told Guyana Times that works on the transmission line is in its “final stages”. He explained that the poles have already been constructed and connecting the lines from the power ship to the Mandela Avenue Substation is almost completed.
“They’re just at the end where they’re doing the final touches, so to speak… We’re doing the final connection, then they have to go through the usual testing and so. So, they will be ready to deliver the power, as promised, for Christmas,” he related.
According to PM Phillips, the teams – GPL, the contractor and the power ship operators – have been working all day to complete the line connection and be ready for the testing phase, which he said would be done within the next 48 hours.
“They’re almost finished stringing the cables. They’re connecting everything to the substation, then connect to the ship, and then after… evacuate the current but before we evacuate the current, we’ll do a test… before they start delivering the power. So, within the next 48 hours, that will happen,” the Prime Minister noted.
Meanwhile, PM Phillips acknowledged the challenges posed during this period of preparatory works, which required controlled power outages especially in the areas where the transmission lines are installed. However, he assured these will be a thing of the past once the power ship becomes operational.
“We want to ask the people, especially those suffering from power outages as a result of this project, to bear with us. This is a controlled power outage to ensure that we connect and test, so everyone will have more electricity available,” the PM stated.
He further commended the efforts of GPL and its contractor, emphasising the swift execution of the project within the six-week timeframe.
Addressing the state-owned power company’s readiness to manage this new power source, the Prime Minister expressed complete confidence in GPL’s capabilities. He highlighted that senior GPL personnels have been overseeing the project from its inception and will continue to manage the power distribution process.
Drawing on their successful experience with the 36 MW power ship setup in the Berbice River, the Prime Minister conveyed his full assurance in the team’s ability to effectively manage and distribute the additional power to Guyanese consumers.
The power ship is a crucial part of the Government’s ongoing efforts to enhance the reliability of electricity nationwide, paving the way for more stable energy for all Guyanese.
The 75 MW power ship, which arrived in the Demerara River earlier this month, is part of a two-year contract between GPL and the Joint Venture of Turkish-based Karpowership Global DMCC and Qatar-based UCC Energy International LLC – the same company that provided the first power ship. (G8)