Blackouts will not end in a hurry

Nov 10, 2009 Editorial

The electricity situation is indeed markedly better but there is so much more to ensuring that power outages are things of the past.
Indeed, the management of Guyana Power and Light did promise that by the end of last week when the new power station comes on stream the situation would be markedly improved.
Some had reported that blackouts would have been things of the past.
However, on the date when the new station went into operation there was a spate of blackouts in the city and its environs.
Guyana needs at least 85 megawatts to ensure a stable generation. To achieve this there is need for more generating sets so that repairs could be facilitated to affected generators without any significant disruption in supplies.
Blackouts have been with Guyana for as long as one could remember. The critics would say that these were almost non-existent during the colonial era but the reality is that the area supplied was just enough for the generation. It was limited to the city. The environs were in darkness.
Politicians, in hindsight would say that the government bit off more than it could chew but in this day and age when power is a necessity, when electronics are the means of life, every community should have power.
Hydroelectricity, had the Venezuelans not objected strenuously to the establishment of Upper Mazaruni Hydroelectric project, would have solved all the country’s problems. This was way back in 1973 and the cost would have been a fraction of what it would be today.
The aim then was to provide enough power to operate a smelter that would have been a boon to the bauxite industry. The remainder would have been ploughed into the national grid. Already there was a facility at Tumatumari but it was too small for transmission to the national grid but it would have served to power the hinterland communities of Mahdia and 72 Miles.
That project was allowed to collapse to the detriment of electrification of the nearby hinterland communities.
At present the government is again pursuing hydroelectricity with a vengeance. The plan is to extend the power to the coast and enter into a power sharing arrangement with the power company.
But there are some questions that need to be answered. The hydroelectric facility is going to require a flooded area in a part of Guyana that is at present being held up for carbon credits.
The extent of flooding would have to be significant because of the volume of water needed for the turbines that would be operating.
There would have to be the relocation of some people and the construction of dams to regulate the flow of rivers. There may also be some protests from the people who are championing standing forests.
However, the fact remains that Guyana needs power. It has never had enough and as a result in this day and age some coastal communities have been without power. Roadways are still poorly lit and are major contributory factors to accidents, especially in areas where cattle abound.
In the countries where electricity is a given, there is no end to inventions that mean so much to national life. Guyana at this stage of its life is going to need all the power it could get if it is to establish the industries that would make for value-added products.
However, despite the bold statements by the management of the power company, there will be no end to blackouts in the foreseeable future. The reason is that with new housing schemes and growing communities, there will be increased demand for power.
The expansion in generating capacity will not keep pace.

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Blackouts will not end in a hurry

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