Govt. promises ease in blackouts in time for Christmas

Nov 08, 2023 News

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…tells private sector of plans to purchase 17 new generators

Kaieteur News – The Government on Monday promised the business community that they would get some respite from the incessant blackouts in time for Christmas.

Guyana has been plagued with daily blackouts for the longest while. On Monday Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar on Monday engaged members of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) to discuss the ongoing load shedding exercise and Guyana Power and Light’s (GPL) development plans. According to a Department of Public Information (DPI) release Minister Indar informed the private sector body that the government invested US$27.5 million to procure 17 generator sets that will provide a combined 28.9 megawatts of electricity. “On the 22nd of November, the engines will arrive in Guyana which is 17 engines by 1.7 megawatts which will give you the 28.9 megawatts that will deal with our demand and should be ready for the 15th of December to be plugged into the grid, so that you can have relief in the Christmas time,” the minister stated.

While the nation awaits the completion of the 300-megawatt gas-to-energy project, Minister Indar said GPL is already planning to meet projected demand increases for 2024. To this end, he highlighted that in 2024 there will be an estimated peak of 236 megawatts. Currently, the country has a total of 203.5 megawatts of reliable generating capacity. The minister pointed out that when the government took office in 2020, the reliable generation capacity fluctuated between 96 and 117 megawatts. The peak at that time was 120 megawatts. In 2021, the peak demand increased to approximately 136 megawatts, and in 2022, it increased to approximately 154 megawatts. This year has seen an increase to 184.5 megawatts. The minister reiterated the PPP/C government’s commitment and plans to address this issue. Meanwhile, GCCI President Kester Hudson said the engagement led by Minister Indar is an excellent example of government-private sector partnership

Only last week Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton and the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce on Thursday voiced their dissatisfaction with the ongoing power outages that have plagued the citizens of Guyana for the past several months. But the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) had stated that it experienced a historic peak in electricity demand, reaching 182 Megawatts (MW) on September 29, 2023, attributed to rising temperatures in the region. GPL’s Development and Expansion Plan for 2023-2027 projected 186.6 MW in 2023, leading to the acquisition of 28.9 MW of generation through public tenders. The additional generation is expected to become operational in mid-December, addressing the current peak demand challenges. GPL acknowledged that, to prevent total system shutdowns, they have temporarily de-energized some distribution feeders during peak demand periods, resulting in service disruptions. The company assured customers that the situation will be resolved by mid-December.

In response, the Opposition called on the Government of Guyana (GoG) to provide a clear explanation to the public regarding the persistent electricity rationing, especially after the government’s claims of removing “big businesses” that were supposedly straining the generation capacity. The Opposition contended that this situation either reflects a fundamental misdiagnosis of the issue or a significant failure in addressing it. Immediate rectification is necessary, and they demanded accountability from President Irfaan Ali, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, and Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill for the failures in planning, management, and execution.

The Opposition emphasized that GPL had consistently warned of the need for additional generation capacity in 2023, and the lack of support in acquiring this capacity led to the current crisis. This crisis was exacerbated by a recent 46.5 MW generation failure at the Garden of Eden Plant, East Bank Demerara. According to GPL’s own reports, 63% of generation capacity for the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected system is classified as “unreliable.” The Opposition called for an end to this unreliable practice and a focus on adding reliable capacity to the system until the Gas-to-Energy project is completed. They also stressed the importance of investing in a reliable transmission and distribution network to ensure electricity supply reliability, alongside improvements in generation capacity. The Opposition advocates for substantial investment. For its part, the GCCI also expressed disappointment with the continuous power outages, emphasizing their adverse effects on enterprise productivity and overall economic performance. However, the GCCI supported projects like the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, the Gas-to-Energy (GTE) Project, and Solar Farms as the future of Guyana’s energy supply. The body called for measures to bridge the current generation gap and improved forecasting, planning, and investments in the energy sector.

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• blackouts, Christmas, generators, Government, Promises

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