–Plans to broaden technical training programmes
-by Shamiah Grant
Constructed as part of the new Gas-to-Energy initiative, the 20 million US dollar National Control Centre will monitor and manage Guyana’s power grid once operational. Head of GPL’s Executive Management Committee, Kesh Nandlall, says the utility has also begun expanding technical training programs for its staff to support the new facility.
Nandlall says the new smart facility comprises modern equipment, duplicated rooms, and control rooms that will allow operators to see the entire grid from the transmission levels to the distribution levels once operationalized.
“So, that we can see power flow from generators straight down to the customer meter that is what is going to happen here and we can manage everything and monitor everything carefully and properly so that customer interruption is prevented,” he said.
The control center’s communication system will also upgrade from radios to fiber-optic cables,transmitting real-time signals and updates directly from substations and power plants.
GPL has to-date invested over 50 million dollars in training and plans to further broaden its technical training programs to build a skilled workforce for its growing grid and infrastructure projects.
“So, the last program we had is called train the trainers, so when we send you over to get the training and you come back you will help to train the others, because we can’t send everyone at the same time it is not a new body of staff we are hiring but we are upskilling and upgrading our existing staff who understand the system,” said GPL’s Divisional Director of Engineering Services, Ryan Ross.