Drilling is underway on both sides of the Demerara River for a 69‑kilovolt power cable that will connect the Kingston and Vreed‑en‑Hoop substations.
The cable will be installed approximately 75 feet below the riverbed and will give GPL a second transmission route across the river. The project includes two underground carrier pipes and a new 69‑kV gas‑insulated switchgear installation planned for Kingston.
Equipment will be shifted by about two metres before drilling the second pipe, and a pilot hole is being drilled with a 12¼‑inch bit.
The existing submarine cable is rated to transmit approximately seven megawatts, but has recently carried as much as 15 megawatts. Electricity demand in Region Three has risen from roughly 36 megawatts to about 41 megawatts. The Gas‑to‑Energy power plant at Wales has a capacity of 300 megawatts.
The interconnected system recently recorded a peak demand of approximately 246.2 megawatts. No date is provided in the report.
