– Min. Patterson to submit plan to Cabinet for guidance

THE Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Incorporated has submitted an action plan to Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, that aims to acquire 47megawatts of power to address its present generation shortfall.

This was announced by Minister Patterson on the Department of Public Information’s (DPI) One-on-One programme today. He said the utility company issued the proposal after a six-hour meeting on December 06.

According to the plan, GPL hopes to produce 28 megawatts of electricity by mid-2020 and the remaining 19 megawatts by the end of that year. Minister Patterson explained he had engaged with the Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, on GPL’s proposal. It was further stated that the proposal will be presented next week to the Cabinet for guidance.
Currently, the generation power at GPL stands at 142 megawatts while the peak demand pegs at 124.6 megawatts. This allows for a 17.4-megawatt reserve, which falls below the internationally required standard of 20 per cent of power generation.

Because of the low reserve capacity, power disruptions due to maintenance of generators may occur. Hence, the need to increase generational shortfall is critical.

As part of the long-term plans for GPL, Minister Patterson committed to transitioning the company’s grid to be powered by 100 per cent natural gas. In off-grid areas, the government intends to continue powering communities with renewable energy. (DPI)