-by Shamiah Grant

Guyana Power and Light is preparing to commission its 300-megawatt Goedverwagting substation and a new US$20 million National Control Centre.

The projects form part of GPL’s US$422.2 million transmission and distribution upgrade programme, aimed at strengthening the national grid.

GPL Team Leader Kesh Nandlall says the new National Control Centre will give the utility greater oversight of electricity flows across the network.

The facility will be equipped with technology to monitor the grid from generation through transmission and distribution to customers, allowing GPL to better manage the system and reduce disruptions.

“This here we are will be a very secure location where we will manage grid, it will carry brand-new equipment for us to see the entire grid from the transmission level and at the distribution level, so that we can see power flow from the generation 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 customers interruption can be prevented,” he said.
Meanwhile, work is advancing on new substations at Chateau Margot and Enmore, along with the expansion of the Columbia substation.

Nandlall says those projects are approximately 60 percent complete and will help strengthen electricity supply along the East Coast corridor.

“So, I want everyone to see the amount of works being down here and from here we will go and tour as to what are the other development that is according by the Guyana Power and Light to take the power down to the Eastern Corridor,” he said.

The updates were provided during a field visit to GPL projects across Regions Four and Five, as the utility monitors construction quality and project timelines.