The recent spate of power outages affecting the Berbice/Demerara interconnected system has been attributed to an unusual culprit: vultures perching on Guyana Power and Light (GPL) transmission towers in Berbice.
This revelation comes from Ravindra Jagnanan, GPL’s Berbice Branch Manager, who highlighted several challenges faced by the power utility in maintaining uninterrupted service.
Key among these challenges is the obstruction caused by vultures at GPL’s transmission towers located on both the West and East Banks of Berbice.
Jagnanan explained that the size of these birds poses a risk as they can inadvertently interfere with live components, leading to network shutdowns that affect the entire transmission system, including power ships.
Jagnanan further elaborated that the geographical location of the transmission lines, particularly the L21 and L22 lines in Zone one, exacerbates maintenance difficulties, especially during the rainy season when accessibility is limited due to off-road conditions.
In response to these issues, GPL is actively implementing solutions. One strategy involves the procurement of conductor shields and bird deterrents to prevent vultures from settling on the towers and disrupting operations.
Additionally, the power company is addressing challenges posed by heavy-duty machinery operating in close proximity to the network, which occasionally makes contact with transmission infrastructure.
As part of ongoing efforts to mitigate these challenges, GPL has scheduled a planned power outage in specific areas of region six and the Demerara grid.
This outage, slated for Friday, will facilitate the installation of conductor shields, bird deterrents, and other necessary maintenance works aimed at ensuring a more reliable power supply.