A SIGNIFICANT step towards alleviating the power-outage crisis in Guyana is on the horizon as the power ship, which arrived at Everton, Berbice, on Saturday, is on track to be connected to the national grid by Wednesday.

This is according to Kesh Nandlall, Head of the Guyana Power and Light’s (GPL) executive management team. Nandlall told this publication on Sunday that the power company is working on the task in phases.

Nandlall stated that they do not anticipate any delays as a result of the recent, intense downpours that have descended on the country.

The engineers and technical staff at GPL have been working non-stop before and after the ship arrived to make sure that everything was set up to connect it to the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS). More than 90 per cent of the work, which included installing transmission lines and driving piles, has been completed.

The power ship, which will supply 36 megawatts (MW) of power for the next two years, arrived in local waters last Wednesday. It last operated on the Caribbean island of Cuba.

It has two engines which produce 18.5 megawatts each.

On April 13, GPL signed a contract with Urbacon Concessions Investments, W.L.L (UCI) to charter the power ship for a period of two years, with US$1 million paid as a mobilisation fee. The contract includes the provision of operational and maintenance services as part of the agreement.

UCI is a subsidiary of UCC Holdings, a company incorporated in the State of Qatar. UCC Holdings has a strategic alliance with Karpowership International, a Turkish company.

Once connected, the power-supply ship is expected to operate at a remarkable 96 per cent availability, and will be integrated into GPL’s grid at 69 kilovolts (kV).
Under the terms of the agreement, GPL will pay a monthly charter fee of 6.62 US cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) for the power ship, along with a 0.98 US cents per kWh operation and maintenance fee based on electricity generation.

GPL is also responsible for the supply of heavy fuel oil (HFO) for operation of the generators of the vessel.

The persistent power outages, attributed to various factors including aging infrastructure and increased demand, have underscored the urgent need for infrastructural upgrades within GPL’s network. In response, the utility company is actively exploring renewable-energy options, and is poised to embrace the government’s gas-to-energy project, which aims to supply around 300 megawatts of power by the last quarter of 2024.

Vice-President, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has reassured citizens that energy costs will not escalate because of the rental of the power supply ship, highlighting the government’s commitment to stable and affordable energy solutions.