The Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL) 69kV submarine cable is back in operation following the successful completion of remedial work.
The company said today (Saturday, October 26, 2019) now that the cable has returned to operation, approximately 14 Megawatt (MW) of power is being supplied to the Eastern Section of the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS).
The submarine cable, which links the Vreed-en-Hoop and Kingston Power Plants, sustained damages at two locations in June and August by vessels traversing the Demerara River.
Subsequently, repairs were carried out by China National Machinery Import & Export Corporation (CMC), the company that laid the cable in 2012.
GPL has requested the assistance of the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) to advise mariners to exercise caution when operating in close proximity of the cable.
The armour and insulation protection of the 69 kV cable, which rests along the upper Demerara River within proximity of Craig, East Bank Demerara, was dislodged by a barge sailing along the Demerara River in June.
Due to the extent of the damages, two repair kits had to be sourced from CMC. However, repairs to the cable were delayed due to the discovery of the second damage in August, which required additional diagnosis and testing.
As a consequent, both repair kits were manufactured and shipped to Guyana.
Following the arrival of the kits, the contractor, CMC, immediately commenced work earlier this month to retrieve and repair the compromised sections of the cable, which were approximately 0.7 and 0.8 km offshore the Kingston Substation.
As a preventative measure, the cable was reburied in the Demerara River to a depth of approximately 15 feet.
