Guyana Power and Light (GPL) is exploring additional electricity generation options as rapidly rising demand brings the national power system closer to its available capacity.
Speaking on the Starting Point podcast, GPL Chief Executive Officer Kesh Nandlall said that peak demand on the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS) has reached approximately 255 megawatts (MW), compared with around 270 MW of currently available generation capacity.
The narrow margin has heightened the need for additional generation to provide greater flexibility during periods of high demand, equipment failures, or other disruptions.
Nandlall said GPL is examining several options for immediate implementation, including installing smaller generating units at strategic locations across the network. The utility is also considering a larger generation project to provide additional capacity.
The rapid rise in electricity consumption has placed increasing pressure on GPL’s infrastructure. Peak demand, which stood at approximately 125 MW in 2020, rose to about 221 MW last year and has now reached roughly 255 MW.
Over the same period, GPL’s customer base increased from approximately 201,000 to about 250,000.
Nandlall attributed much of the increased demand to ongoing development across the country, including growth in housing, manufacturing, hotels and other commercial activities.
The sharp rise in consumption has also contributed to overloaded transformers and sections of the distribution network, prompting GPL crews to work continuously to address faults and other system challenges.
In the meantime, the utility is using planned maintenance, available generation resources and other short-term measures to maintain system reliability while larger projects are being developed.
A major boost is expected from Guyana’s Gas-to-Energy initiative. Nandlall said the first phase is expected to add about 300 MW of generation capacity, with the full 300 MW currently targeted for availability by next June.
However, he cautioned that additional generation alone will not immediately resolve all power outages.
According to the CEO, Guyana must also significantly strengthen its transmission and distribution infrastructure to ensure that newly generated electricity can be transmitted efficiently to areas where it is needed.
GPL is therefore undertaking an infrastructure programme estimated at approximately US$800 million. The programme includes building new substations, transmission lines, and more than 200 kilometres of distribution feeders.
Nandlall said these investments are intended to expand the network’s capacity, improve electricity distribution and provide greater redundancy, enabling the system to better accommodate Guyana’s rapidly growing demand.