Latest update February 9th, 2025 1:59 PM
Latest News
- Gunmen rob money changer at America Street
- Couple dies in fire at Hydronie, EBE
- “Oil-rich Guyana is worse off from the very start”- Glenn Lall
- Terrence Campbell to remain member of oil money Investment Committee despite transparency concerns in use of revenues
- Trump freezes aid to South Africa amid spat over land expropriation law
Blackout a norm despite millions invested into GPL – Consumer advocate
– CEO plans to invest US$292M for new master plan
Kaieteur News – Consumer advocate, Dexter George, last week stated that despite millions of dollars being invested into the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), blackouts continue to be a norm in the country. He said the situation is such that consumers are not getting at least 90% efficiency out of the moneys being spent.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GPL, Bharat Dindyal
Consumer advocate, Dexter George
George made that comment last Friday during a Public Utilities Commission (PUC) webinar held under the topic “Energy and Electricity: What we should all know.”
While highlighting several concerns surrounding GPL’s performance in supplying electricity to its consumers, George said, “In relation to power outages, I should say by now it’s a norm in Guyana. As soon as you see a little bit of cloud expect the power to go.”
George said he is aware of the infrastructural works that are currently being done by GPL and even agreed that there will not be a consistent distribution of power supply to consumers. However, he noted that despite the aforementioned there should still be a certain flow of electricity to consumers. The advocate further noted, that very often GPL publishes notices on social media and in the newspapers indicating that there would be daily, scheduled outages for maintenance works and infrastructure upgrades.
He said, “For the last couple of months, along the Georgetown/ East Coast Corridor where they are doing some infrastructural changes, the frequency of power outages was too high and a lot of persons complained about it.”
Following George’s comment, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GPL, Bharat Dindyal disclosed that the State entity will be looking to source US$292M for a transmission and distribution ‘master plan.’ Dindyal stated that the ‘master plan’ is already in the development stage while adding that the company is now in the process of sourcing financing since it’s a big investment. He noted that the master plan is expected to be implemented over a five to eight years period.
According to Dindyal, the State entity is looking at a combination of grant and loan resources and highlighted, that in relation to the loan the company will be looking at ‘concessional financing.’
The CEO said, while many institutions are interested in financing the master plan, the company’s main source will be the International Development Bank (IDB). He further stated that with the company’s newly developed master plan for transmission and distribution; the project will call for a complete rebuild of the existing network.
Dindyal stated that while the company is trying to rebuild the existing network it has to continue to provide service.
Over the years millions of dollars have been invested into the company with the latest investment being US$2.5M.
Last year, Guyana’s blackout woes were expected to ease after it was announced that Giftland Mall and MACORP were set to supply the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS), with five megawatts and 10 megawatts of power respectively, needed to boost the current supply of electricity to the national grid. Both power supplies were incorporated into GPL’s grid.
In December 2020, six 1.6 megawatts (MW) Caterpillar generator units that were purchased by GPL had arrived in Guyana. The six generators cost $475M. In that same month, the GPL’s 69kV submarine that was damaged was repaired to the tune of $100M.
The 69kV submarine cable links GPL’s Vreed-en-Hoop and Kingston substations and allows for the transfer of electrical power into the DBIS.
Prior to that, Finnish company, Wärtsilä, was selected to build a US$50M generating complex at Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara.
Similar Articles
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
You cannot borrow your way to prosperity
Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News-The Jagdeo Doctrine is an absurd, reckless, and fundamentally shortsighted economic fallacy.... more
OAS Secretary General Election and renewed OAS Consensus
Antiguan Barbudan Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders By Sir Ronald Sanders Kaieteur News- The upcoming election... more
Weekend Cartoon
