GPL is building a national control centre that will let it pinpoint faults, isolate affected sections of the grid and restore power to customers faster during major outages.
This was disclosed by GPL Head of Management Committee Kesh Nandlall during a media tour of the facility at Good Hope, along with other infrastructure being built to strengthen the electricity network. GPL said the centre will allow operators to monitor power moving from generating plants through transmission lines and substations, and that if a fault occurs, the affected section could be isolated while electricity is rerouted to restore power.
The first phase will cover generation, transmission and substations, with a second phase expected to extend monitoring through feeders and transformers, eventually reaching customer meters. The company said it is working towards a functionally smart grid by 2030.
The upgrades are also preparing the network to receive electricity from the Gas-to-Energy plant at Wales. At Good Hope, GPL is constructing its largest substation, valued at approximately US$46 million, while US$422.2 million in transmission contracts are supporting the expansion of the network eastward.
The works include about 155 kilometres of 230-kilovolt lines and 163 kilometres of 69-kilovolt lines. GPL said the infrastructure will eventually help move power from Wales through the East Coast and into Berbice.

Head of GPL Management Committee Kesh Nandlall