-75 additional megawatts to add to the national grid

IN a continued effort to meet the growing demand for reliable electricity, the Government of Guyana, through the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL), has signed an agreement for the deployment of a second collaborative electric vessel with UCC Holdings.

The motor vessel, which will be stationed in the Demerara River, is expected to provide an additional 60 megawatts of power in its first phase, with a planned increase to 75 megawatts in the second phase. This new addition to the national grid is expected to significantly strengthen the country’s energy supply.

The signing ceremony, held on Wednesday, was overseen by Senior Minister in the Office of the President for Finance and Civil Service, Dr. Ashni Singh, and Minister in the Ministry of Works, Mr. Deodat Indar . The agreement was signed at the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) office by Mr. Kesh Nandlall, Head of the GPL Management Committee, and Mr. Antonio Neto, UCC Holdings Managing Director for the Americas.

Dr Singh, speaking at the event, highlighted that the government was focused on meeting the country’s short and long term electricity demand. He highlighted the successful deployment of the first hydropower in May 2023, which provided 36 megawatts of electricity to the Demerara-Berbice interconnected network. However, he noted that the country’s electricity demand is steadily increasing and the government must continue to take proactive measures to ensure reliable supply.

“President Ali’s instructions are very clear: firstly, we must meet the immediate demand for electricity, and when that means bringing in emergency power, we must bring in that emergency power,” explained Dr. Singh, outlining the government’s ongoing efforts. efforts to meet current and future energy needs.

In the longer term, the government is targeting the Gas to Energy project, which is expected to bring an additional 300 megawatts to the national grid once operational. Dr Singh also mentioned that further plans are in place to secure more generation capacity through additional proposals, thereby ensuring that the country is prepared to cope with the expected future growth in energy demand.

Minister Indar highlighted the essential role that these power plants play in supporting the country’s development, particularly as the end-of-year holidays approach, with increased electricity consumption. He noted that when the PPP/C government took office in 2020, the country’s production capacity was insufficient to meet peak demand. However, since then significant steps have been taken to expand and stabilize electricity supplies, with peak demand now at 205 megawatts.

Meanwhile, the representative of UCC Holdings, Mr. Antonio Neto, confirmed that the company would mobilize the powership as soon as possible, with the aim of deploying it to Guyana in the coming weeks.

This second power plant marks another important step in the government’s strategy to address electricity shortages and prepare the country for its growing energy needs. Since taking office in 2020, the PPP/C government has implemented several initiatives, including the installation of 10 megawatts of emergency power, the commissioning of 46.5 megawatts of the Garden of Eden plant in 2022 and the acquisition of an additional 28.9 megawatts of electricity. from Colombia. Together, these efforts help ensure that Guyana’s energy sector can keep pace with the country’s development.