Old cable, poor distribution system blamed for frequent blackouts

The old submarine cable for the Vreed-en-Hoop power station is responsible for the recent blackouts, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson said.

According to the minister, the submarine cable for the Vreed-en-Hoop station in Region Three is damaged, leading to the inability to immediately restore power in the event of an issue.

He explained that normally when the power outage occurs, the power would be reconnected immediately since there is in excess of 16 megawatts of power, however, “If the light trips again, it blocks the entire area,” so the lights would have to be reconnected in sections.

In Demerara, it’s not a question of generators, since all the generators are working, but it is a question of the distribution system, Minister Patterson stressed.

“As we find them (problems) we reconnect, but unfortunately it disconnects before you can identify where to fix because it’s a very old system,” the Minister added.

The Minister explained that he recently met with the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Board to improve response time to at least 15 minutes.

However, efforts are underway to repair the cable, he said, adding that a contract will be awarded shortly.

(GINA)