More blackouts today as GPL fixes submarine cable

The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc. says it is conducting a load shedding exercise today as it works to fix its submarine cable.

As a result, residents from Bygeval, East Coast Demerara to Seafield Village, West Coast Berbice; areas in Georgetown including Kingston, North Cummingsburg, South Cummingsburg and Lacytown and Haslington to Nooten Zuil on the East Coast of Demerara are affected.

GPL in a statement on its Facebook page Tuesday said this is due to the unavailability of the submarine cable which links its Kingston, Georgetown and Vreed-en-Hoop, West Bank Demerara Stations.

The cable developed a fault along sections located approximately 0.5 km offshore from the Kingston operations.

The state-owned power company said two of its generating sets at the Kingston Power Plant are also unavailable due to maintenance requirements.

“Our Company remains cognizant of the inconveniences associated with this load shedding exercise and will endeavor to minimize the duration,” GPL said.

Updates will be provided as they become available.

The Vreed-en-Hoop operation supplies an average of 14MWs of electricity to the Kingston operation for further utilization within the eastern half of the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS).

In the absence of the submarine cable, the company said it is unable to transfer this capacity to the eastern half of the DBIS.