FOUNDATION works paving the way for 26 MW in generation capacity purchased from the Wartsila Company has cost the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) some six weeks in delays.

This was confirmed yesterday by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of  the nation’s lone power company, Bharrat Dindyal, who says that GPL is currently looking to finalise another contract for the foundation works with another contractor.
Dindyal informed the Guyana Chronicle yesterday that a contract was inked with an Essequibo contractor following a competitive tendering process.
The contractor subsequently indicated to the power company that he is no longer interested in undertaking components of the works and, according to Dindyal, has caused the company to have to identify another contractor.
He says that the company did not re-tender the project but rather will be utilising the services of one of the original bidders.
According to Dindyal, this contract  is currently being finalised.
Dindyal informed this newspaper also that the 26 MW generator sets purchased by the power company are expected to arrive in April.
He said too that the company will also have to await the arrival of special equipment to transport the machinery when it arrives in Guyana.
He explained that the generator sets will require specially rigged trailers to undertake such a transport when the pieces of equipment arrive.
Upon arrival in Guyana, the generation equipment is expected to take at least a year to install.
At present there is some 11 MW of electricity unavailable to the national grid as the company has commenced its frequency conversion.
GPL is looking to secure the ‘three Wartsila 20V32 generators’ which will be located at Vreed-en-Hoop. Each machine is rated at 8.7MW.
The purchase of the badly needed generator sets had been impaired following the 2012 budget cuts, whereby the combined opposition had withheld parliamentary support for the more than $5B required to make the purchase.