GUYANA Power and Light Inc. (GPL) is advancing major upgrades at three key substations as electricity demand on the country’s main interconnected power system has increased by 18 per cent over the past two years.
Works are underway at Chateau Margot, Columbia and Enmore, with the projects intended to increase grid capacity, improve reliability and strengthen the network’s ability to receive and distribute additional power.
Head of GPL’s Executive Management Committee, Kesh Nandlall, provided an update on the projects, outlining the work being undertaken to expand and modernise critical components of the national electricity network.
The upgrades come amid calls from President Dr Irfaan Ali for a comprehensive overhaul of the national grid following a series of power outages. The President has described the scale and frequency of recent blackouts as unacceptable.
According to figures cited by the Head of State, peak demand on the Demerara–Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS) increased from approximately 205 megawatts in 2024 to 242.6 megawatts in August 2026, representing an 18 per cent increase.
This rate of growth is significantly above the three to four per cent average reported for power systems elsewhere in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to the information provided by the President.
At Chateau Margot, GPL is constructing a new 69-kilovolt (kV) substation designed to step down electricity to 13.8 kV for distribution.
Nandlall said the substation will also provide greater redundancy within the network, with power continuing towards the Columbia substation before being distributed to consumers.
“Materials have already been ordered and are on ship, and we did factory acceptance testing. They are already on the way here,” Nandlall said.
He added that the engineering and procurement phases have been completed and foundation works are finished. The next stages will involve assembling the equipment and commissioning the substation.
At the Columbia Substation in Mahaicony, Region Five, GPL is expanding and modernising the existing facility while integrating it with a 28-megawatt power plant.
Nandlall said the 69 kV transmission line will feed into the expanded substation, allowing GPL to bring more electricity into the facility, increase distribution capacity and establish additional feeders to serve surrounding communities.
The Columbia expansion is estimated to be 60 to 70 per cent complete, with most foundation works finished. Pile-driving activities are continuing, while equipment undergoes factory acceptance testing and preparations are made for assembly.
On the East Coast of Demerara, substantial work is also progressing on the new Enmore Substation, which is expected to serve the existing population while supporting a planned industrial estate in the surrounding area.
Nandlall said electricity entering the facility at 69 kV will be stepped down to 13.8 kV for distribution to the industrial estate and nearby communities.
“Feeders will come out of here and it will bring reliability to this part of the East Coast,” he said.
Foundation work at Enmore is nearing completion, while transformers have been ordered and factory tested. Engineering work has also been completed and equipment is being shipped for assembly.
The substation projects form part of a wider programme to strengthen and modernise Guyana’s electricity infrastructure as demand continues to rise.
Other measures identified by President Ali include the introduction of a more diversified fuel mix, more than 360 kilometres of new high-voltage transmission lines, smart metering, advanced control systems and battery energy storage.
The combined measures are intended to expand the capacity and resilience of the national electricity system while creating greater flexibility to meet Guyana’s growing residential, commercial and industrial demand.