The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) yesterday said that a firebomb which was thrown into the compound of the Good Hope Distribution Substation on Tuesday night could have done major damage to the power supply system.
Closed Circuit Television footage released yesterday by GPL showed one man lobbing a Molotov cocktail into the East Coast Demerara station while another waited some distance away. Once the firebomb was thrown into the compound a fire erupted and both men fled.
In a statement, GPL condemned “in the strongest terms the deliberate sabotage” of its station.
“At approximately 22:46 hrs, CCTV captured two individuals at the substation, one of whom threw a Molotov cocktail, an improvised firebomb into the 69kV energized substation switchyard. The matter was immediately reported to the Guyana Police Force.
This was not only vandalism but a malicious attack that could have caused catastrophic damage. A firebomb in a live high-voltage yard can ignite transformer oil, cables and switchgear, causing fires and explosions that endanger staff and nearby residents and destroy the substation.
“Had this attack succeeded, it would have resulted in a total shutdown of the Demerara Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS) affecting in excess of 220,000 customers and the Good Hope Substation would have suffered extensive physical damage to its equipment, taking not less than 12 months to reconstruct and billions of dollars in expenditures”, the utility company said.
It added that destroyed high-voltage equipment can take months and significant cost to replace, with major losses in revenue, emergency restoration and grid security.
Fortunately, it said that there were no line or feeder trips and supply was not interrupted. GPL engineers inspected the site overnight and confirmed no major equipment was damaged. Further investigations are ongoing.
GPL asserted that under the Anti-Terrorism and Terrorist Related Activities Act 2015, a “terrorist act” includes an act that causes or is likely to cause loss of life, serious bodily harm or damage to property, or that disrupts public safety or public utilities and other essential infrastructure, intended to intimidate the public or a section of the public.
“A firebomb thrown into a live substation falls squarely within that description. GPL has formally asked the Guyana Police Force to investigate under that Act, together with the arson, malicious damage and conspiracy provisions of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:01.
“Those who carried out this act, and anyone who planned, funded, aided or abetted it, must be arrested and prosecuted.
GPL has handed its CCTV footage to investigators and increased security and patrols at all substations and power plant across the grid”, the statement said.
It added that persons who damage, attempt to damage, or assist others in damaging GPL facilities will face prosecution under the laws of Guyana and GPL will pursue every legal avenue, including civil recovery of all losses.
GPL thanked its staff, security personnel and the Guyana Police Force for their swift response.
Earlier in the day, the police said that they were investigating the incident.
A statement from the police said that security guards alerted a 49-year-old GPL operator to the fire at about 10.45 pm. The operator checked the area and saw the fire near the line. It reportedly lasted about three minutes.
Police visited the facility along the Railway Embankment yesterday and found four glass bottles containing a liquid suspected to be kerosene, with pieces of cloth attached. A lighter, a saw frame and pieces of broken glass bottles were also found nearby.
The Guyana Fire Service was asked to assist with the investigation. Police said they would review footage from cameras in the area as they seek to identify those responsible.
In a separate incident on October 30, GPL said it suspected deliberate interference after the L2 transmission line between Grove and Sophia tripped, causing widespread outages. As was reported at the time, GPL said inspections found no physical condition that explained the trip and that it was stepping up surveillance of key transmission infrastructure.
Yesterday, the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) condemned the deliberate attempt to sabotage the Good Hope station.
“The Chamber regards this incident as a flagrant act of sabotage against critical national infrastructure, with potentially devastating consequences for the country and its citizens.
“The GCCI maintains that any deliberate attempt to damage essential public infrastructure represents a serious threat to national security, public safety and economic stability. Such actions cannot be tolerated, particularly at a time when Guyana is making significant investments to strengthen and modernise its infrastructure”, a statement from the Chamber said.
It called for a thorough investigation into the incident and for all those found responsible to be held accountable in accordance with the law.
“The GCCI further underscores the importance of safeguarding critical national infrastructure and ensuring that the significant investments being made in the country’s development are protected.
“Acts of sabotage against essential national infrastructure have no place in Guyana. The Chamber strongly condemns such conduct and stands firmly in support of accountability and the protection of the country’s national assets”, the statement added.
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