The generators which are expected to boost the Guyana Power and Light’s (GPL) generation capacity are currently being installed, according to Executive and Manage-ment Committee member, Kesh Nandlall.
He told Stabroek News yesterday that some of the generators which are valued at US$27 million are currently being installed at GPL’s substation at Columbia, East Coast Demerara.
Asked if the generators installed will alleviate the constant power outages nationwide in time for Christmas which is just five days away, Nandlall said that not all the generators will be installed in time for the festive season.
“We are working on the clock to ensure that some of these generators are installed and so far, the installation process is running smooth, so far there were no setbacks”, he affirmed.
The utility company’s executive member assured that several of the generators being installed will help boost the peak demand in time for the holidays.
The Columbia station is in the Mahaica/Mahaicony area and the generators will feed into the Demerara/Berbice Inter-connected System (DBIS).
Amid constant blackouts caused by increased electricity consumption, GPL procured 17 reconditioned containerized generators worth US$27 million from Honduras which will produce 28.9 Megawatts (MW) of power and are slated for installation before the festive season.
Both the government and GPL have been criticized over the load shedding that has become a feature over the last two months and the emergency recourse to the reconditioned carbon fuel sets.
At a press conference held in November, Minister in the Ministry of Public Works Deodat Indar was adamant that GPL would be able to satisfy the current electricity demand when it commissions the 17 power generators.
“These additional units will significantly boost the capacity of the power company to meet the current demand,” the minister told the media.
He had stated that the power utility could not meet the current peak demand of 172 megawatts as one of its sets with a generating capacity of 7.8 megawatts was offline to facilitate a major overhaul.
“Right now, in the country over the last week, we have seen the peak demand of about 172 megawatts. So, we have 167 [megawatts], the country demands 172 [megawatts], peak demand.
So, because of that shortfall, we see some blackouts. When the problem started, the peak demand was 184.5 megawatts, it was bigger, the shortfall was bigger, we see the peak now reducing,” Indar had told reporters at the press conference.
While GPL is anticipating an average peak usage of around 236 megawatts by 2024, the minister also informed that the power company has already received unsolicited offers from individuals with capacity and proposals.
According to him, those offers will be carefully evaluated to meet the growing demand in 2024.
