In Zone one of the Guyana Power and Light’s (GPL) transmission system, two crucial transmission lines, namely L21 and L22, play a vital role in distributing power to various load centers across the region.
However, the location of these lines off-road presents a significant challenge for maintenance, especially during the rainy season, due to limited accessibility.
Ravindra Jagnanan, the Berbice Branch Manager of GPL, has highlighted the increasing presence of vultures around the company’s transmission towers in the West and East Bank of Berbice locations.
These large birds pose a serious risk as they can get entangled with live components, leading to complete shutdowns of the transmission network, including the power ship. Jagnanan mentioned instances where vulture flocks have caused widespread outages in the region, emphasizing the detrimental impact on power production.
Another challenge outlined by Jagnanan is the potential risk of heavy-duty machinery coming into contact with the network, resulting in trips and disruptions.
However, GPL is actively working on implementing measures to mitigate these challenges. One such initiative involves procuring conductor shields and implementing bird deterrence strategies to prevent vultures from interfering with the transmission infrastructure.
As part of these efforts, the Berbice Branch Manager revealed that there will be a scheduled power outage on Friday, lasting approximately eight hours, across some areas in region six and the Demerara grid. This outage is essential to facilitate the installation of conductor shields, bird deterrence mechanisms, and other maintenance works to enhance the reliability and safety of the transmission system.
