GUYANA now boasts a modern integrated electricity grid, linking Berbice and Demerara, and the final component of the new system, the Guyana Power and Light’s Georgetown sub-station, Ruimveldt, was commissioned yesterday.Completed under GPL’s US$38.9M Infrastructure Development Programme (IDP), the new system is expected to facilitate and upgrade voltage stability and efficient electricity distribution. The IPD was funded by the Government of Guyana and in part by a concessional loan from the Export-Import Bank of China.

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, who delivered the feature address at yesterday’s event, stressed that the integrated electricity grid has propelled Guyana’s electricity distribution system by a “great” leap.
According to him, continued advances in the provision of electricity in Guyana depends on a strong inter-connected system, such as integrated electricity grid.
The Prime Minister, who has responsibility for the energy sector, contends that the advances to date are the result of huge financial investments, adding that Guyana still has some way to go.
Hinds underscored that the successes by GPL have not been accomplished without challenges, some of which still persist, particularly as it relates to the company’s losses.
He disclosed that currently GPL’s losses amount to approximately 30 per cent, about 14 per cent technical and 16 per cent non-technical, the latter including instances of theft. “It is time to end it… it is time to end the theft of electricity,” Hinds said.
The Prime Minister maintains that the cost of electricity is no reason for the “self-perpetuating” act of theft, particularly since the cost in Guyana, an average of $67per kilowatt hour, is lower than the Caribbean average of between $63 and $83 per kilowatt hour.
On that note, he made it clear that there must be a move to reduce losses, to as low as between six and eight per cent, but acknowledged that this would require the cooperation of all Guyanese.
Hinds also assured that advances will continue to be made to further improve the supply of electricity in Guyana.
Also making remarks was Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Zhang Limin, who noted that the electricity sector in Guyana is a major cornerstone in the development of the country, given its role in the country’s economic and social advance.
“The Government, today, has delivered and important project to its people,” he said, via a translator.

PREREQUISITE FOR AMAILA
Meanwhile, Chairman of GPL’s Board of Directors, Winston Brassington, stated that the integrated electricity grid was not only done to meet international standards, but is also a pre-requisite for the Amaila Falls Hydro Project (AFHP), which is a project that is considered important by GPL.
The hydropower project is touted to be able to provide Guyanese with a cheaper, reliable and sustainable electricity supply. It involves the construction of a hydropower plant in the area of West-Central Guyana, where the Amaila and Kuribrong Rivers meet. Electricity produced there would be delivered to Georgetown and Guyana’s second largest town, Linden.
The AFHP is anticipated to result in substantial savings to the nation’s coffers, particularly in terms of foreign exchange and the purchase of heavy fuel oil.
President Donald Ramotar’s consistent position on developing hydropower is that economies must serve the people, not vice-versa, and with an expected saving of $9B in electricity subsidies, as well as savings on the $40B fuel bill, enormous contributions can be made to the infrastructural development, which is particularly needed in Guyana’s hinterland to aid and accelerate economic progress.
Mr. Ramotar has also stressed that, despite the disposition of the combined Opposition, the project is not dead. “We are very close to taking a decision on what direction to go to put Amaila back on stream,” the President has said.

Additionally, the potential benefits of a more stable and reliable source of energy through the advancement of hydroelectricity was also targeted by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), last December, as an area for continued focus.
Brassington said, “We need an integrated grid and a modern transmission system…we spend $23B in fuel last year alone.”
He highlighted that the integrated electricity grid will allow GPL to continue to make advance, even as it addressed challenges. “Despite these improvements, a lot more still needs to be done in terms of ensuring uninterrupted distribution of electricity,” Brassington declared.
GPL’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Bharrat Dindyal, yesterday, also made remarks and provided a technical overview of the project.
The contractor for the IDP, started in 2009, was the China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation. The project’s consultant was Caribbean Engineering and Management Consultants Inc., in a joint venture, with SMP Consulting Electrical Engineers.