THE GUYANA Power and Light (GPL) is weighing additional generation options as peak electricity demand reaches approximately 255 megawatts (MWs), leaving the utility company with limited reserve capacity to respond to further increases or disruptions.
GPL’s Chief Executive Officer Kesh Nandlall, during his appearance on the Starting Point podcast, said the utility currently has about 270 MW available through the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS), meaning the gap between available capacity and peak demand is relatively narrow.
“We have hit about 255 megawatts of peak demand, and we expect, and we have available to us about 270,” Nandlall said.
He explained that while GPL still has some additional generation that can be brought into service, this would not create the reserve margin needed to adequately cushion the system in the short term, particularly as demand continues to rise.
“We are currently looking at additional generation, immediate, immediate,” Nandlall said, while adding that a number of options are being considered.
According to the CEO, GPL is examining smaller generation units that could be installed at strategic points on the network, while also considering a larger generation solution.
This move comes as electricity demand continues to climb sharply.
Against this backdrop, Nandlall disclosed that peak demand stood at 125 MWsin 2020 before increasing to 221 MWs last year and approximately 255 MWs currently.
The customer base has also expanded from about 201,000 in 2020 to approximately 250,000, while increased activity in housing, manufacturing, hotels and other business sectors has added further pressure to the system.
Nandlall said that this rapid growth in demand has contributed to overloaded networks and transformers, with GPL crews working around the clock to address the resulting problems.
The company is also relying on scheduled maintenance and additional generation measures to manage the system until larger projects come on stream.
Nandlall said GPL expects gas to energy to significantly strengthen available generation, with the first phase expected to eventually provide 300 MW. Based on the current plan, he said the 300 MW should be available by June next year.
However, he stressed that the increased generation would not immediately eliminate all power interruptions, noting that the transmission and distribution network also requires significant investment and redundancy.
Against this backdrop, he disclosed that GPL is currently implementing an infrastructural programme valued at approximately US$800 million, involving new substations, transmission lines and more than 200 kilometres of distribution feeders.
Nandlall said the infrastructural upgrades are intended to allow additional power to be distributed more effectively and to reduce pressure on existing circuits.
