Min. Indar briefs private sector on GPL load shedding, development plans

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar on Monday engaged members of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) to discuss the ongoing load shedding exercise and Guyana Power and Light’s (GPL) development plans.

Minister Indar informed the private sector body that the government invested US$27.5 million to procure 17 generator sets that will provide a combined 28.9 megawatts of electricity.

“On the 22nd of November, the engines will arrive in Guyana which is 17 engines by 1.7 megawatts which will give you the 28.9 megawatts that will deal with our demand and should be ready for the 15th of December to be plugged into the grid, so that you can have relief in the Christmas time,” the minister stated.

While the nation awaits the completion of the 300-megawatt gas-to-energy project, Minister Indar said GPL is already planning to meet projected demand increases for 2024.

To this end, he highlighted that in 2024 there will be an estimated peak of 236 megawatts. Currently, the country has a total of 203.5 megawatts of reliable generating capacity.

The minister pointed out that when the government took office in 2020, the reliable generation capacity fluctuated between 96 and 117 megawatts. The peak at that time was 120 megawatts.

In 2021, the peak demand increased to approximately 136 megawatts, and in 2022, it increased to approximately 154 megawatts. This year has seen an increase to 184.5 megawatts.

The minister reiterated the PPP/C government’s commitment and plans to address this issue.

Meanwhile, GCCI President Kester Hudson said the engagement led by Minister Indar is an excellent example of government-private sector partnership.