enhanced generation to ease energy woes

IN light of the recent announcement by the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) regarding the nation’s frequent power outages and load shedding as a hindrance to business operations, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar held a meeting with private sector representatives on Monday to discuss the government’s involvement in addressing the matter.

In light of the widespread effects of frequent power outages, Kester Hutson, President of GCCI, told Guyana Chronicle that they were satisfied with the talks held with Minister Indar.
“Everyone in Guyana is affected by GPL, but through this meeting, we were better able to understand why and what’s causing these problems. Commercial businesses as well as residents have the same issues and are frustrated, but businesses are losing more, especially with the low shedding,” Hutson said.
Despite the understandable public frustration with GPL and the current state of affairs, he is imploring the nation to display patience as the government is diligently working to ensure the country has an upgraded grid capable of handling the load.

“We are all frustrated, but let us try and be understanding in this situation. We are living now in a country that is rapidly developing in every aspect of infrastructure, businesses, and other developments, and that will most naturally put pressure on our current system. We had to also consider the damages that are caused to the GPL power lines, but we are happy that Minister Indar has explained the situation to us better so that we can fully understand what is happening,” he related.
According to Hutson, Minister Indar explained that the People’s Progressive Party Government (PPP/C) invested US$27.5 million in 2022 to purchase 17 generator sets, which will generate a total of 28.9 megawatts of power.

Additionally, he stated that the engines will reach Guyana on November 22 and are anticipated to enhance GPL’s generation capability on December 15. While the nation eagerly anticipates the 2025 culmination of the 300 MW gas-to-energy initiative, the minister conveyed that GPL is already strategising to tackle forecasted demand surges for 2024.
Hutson emphasised, “Once again, we would like to express our gratitude to Minister Indar and the government of Guyana for ensuring that we are back to normalcy by mid-December. It is easy to assume what isn’t happening and what is, but we are better informed, and we appreciate it.”

Speaking at a press conference at the GPL boardroom in Kingston recently, Minister Indar said: “Many times, persons say that the management at GPL is incompetent because of challenges such as blackouts or other known shortcomings. I believe these individuals are qualified, and they know their job. These issues we are experiencing are way beyond the control of management.”

In addition, he mentioned that GPL has encountered heightened obstacles due to power supplies and wires being harmed, frequently interrupted by traffic accidents. To satisfy the rising demand, the utility company is presently reviewing unsolicited offers and predicting an average peak demand of 236 MW by 2024.

Minister Indar emphasised the importance of the meeting with GCCI, as it grants business communities a glimpse into the government’s approach to resolving electricity problems in Guyana.