–Public Works Minister says
THE Guyana Power and Light Incorporated’s (GPL’S) power generation capacity is expected to be boosted soon, as the installation of new generators is currently ongoing.

This was according to Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, during an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, on Monday.
Last Wednesday, a vessel arrived at Port Georgetown containing engines totalling some 28.9 megawatts (MW) along with other critical components.

Minister Indar told the Guyana Chronicle that those items were subsequently transported to GPL’s electrical substation at Columbia, Mahaicony, and installation is ongoing at the said substation to connect to the grid.

The addition of this 28.9 MW is part of a US$27.5 million investment by the government to increase power generation at the country’s main power supplier and handle the increased demand over the past few months.
Early last month, Indar had told members of the media that the issue of power supply began just around the same time as the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) games here.

At the end of September, GPL indicated that the company had reached a historic peak in electricity demand at some 182 megawatts.
However, he also noted that there was a realisation in 2022 that the demand for power would increase significantly in 2023, and GPL started the procurement process to add power to the grid early on.

It was noted that at the beginning of that process, many of the expressions of interest presented were not feasible. However, the company, after going out to tender again, was able to procure 28.9 megawatts of additional generation from Apan Energy Services.

The preparation process at the site in Columbia, Mahaicony, also began in November and it was even stated that there should be no issues setting up the generators and commissioning same.
Upon the completion of the installation of the engines and relevant apparatus, the total generation capacity of GPL’s Demerara-Berbice Interconnected system is expected to be boosted, catering for the increased demand.