GPL shutdown: 3 generators powered up; works ongoing on final two

Three weeks after it was forced to shut down its massive Garden of Eden power plant on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) has repowered three of the five generators with plans to repower the final two shortly.

“Currently, three of the five generators, units No.1, 2 and 3, with an aggregate capacity of 27.9 MW were returned to service,” GPL said in a press release issued on Friday night.

Each of the five generators can supply 9.3 megawatts (MW) of power. In total, the East Bank plant provides about 46.5 MW of power to the Demerara Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS).

In total, peak demand for electricity for GPL’s customers stands at around 120MW. Since the shutdown, that demand has been satisfied by older machines with intermittent power outages (load shedding).

GPL noted that the fourth and fifth generators are still being examined and modified.

“The No. 4 unit is undergoing an oil change and is expected to return to operation on Saturday, February 5.

“The No 5 unit will continue to undergo inspection, replacement of a turbocharger, testing of the fuel injector and lube oil change. Parts are on-site to effect the changes,” GPL noted too.

It is expected that the fifth unit will be repowered by Tuesday.

Since the shutdown, a team of engineers from Wärtsilä has been attempting to identify what caused the issue. Wärtsilä is the company that constructed the plant; this facility only came into commercial operation in November 2021.

That the team of engineers have not managed to ascertain the issues. GPL stated that the team will remain on site and continue to monitor the operation of each unit and is expected to advise the Company on the findings of the root cause.