The Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) should be able to provide stable electricity to consumers this year, according to the Head of the company’s Executive Management Committee, Kesh Nandlall.
Even so, Nandlall and other officials from the utility company told the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) that much-needed maintenance work will be carried out throughout the first half of 2025 to prepare the generators to meet the peak demand forecast for later this year.
The PUC conducted a review of GPL’s 2024 operating standards and performance targets on Thursday at the Herdmanston Lodge, Georgetown. During that review, several GPL officials acknowledged that the power company faced numerous challenges last year, resulting in intermittent power outages for consumers connected to Guyana’s main power grid, the Demerara Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS).
Despite challenges, GPL generating excess power now
“In 2025, our expectations are that we will have stable generating capacity to meet the expected demand. However, the challenges extend beyond generation. These include other infrastructure, such as transmission and distribution,” Nandlall told the PUC Commissioners.
The company is addressing a major challenge encountered last year: insufficient power supply. Nandlall said the power demand exceeded GPL’s supply capacity, with significant demand coming from the industrial sector.
As a result, there were “forced outages,” the GPL official said.
To remedy the situation, Nandlall informed the Commissioners that GPL sourced additional power. A new plant at Colombia and two other power plants added 124 megawatts of power to the DBIS.
By the end of 2024, the company had about 265 MW of power, while peak demand last year reached 207 MW. The current installed capacity includes 27 MW of “spinning reserves” — a power supply that can be utilised if part of the DBIS needs to be taken offline for maintenance.
However, peak demand is expected to rise to about 274 MW this year, and GPL will undertake essential maintenance work to ensure all its generators are in optimal condition.
“So, it is important to maintain all the generators from last year. By June, all the large generating sets should be maintained and available, with peak demand expected by the latter part of the year,” GPL’s Director of Power Generation and Delivery, Bharat Harjohn, told the PUC meeting.
Looking ahead, the power company anticipates that power demand will be met more easily with the forthcoming 300 MW power plant at Wales. This power plant will utilise natural gas produced offshore Guyana.
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