Consumers on the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS) can expect relief from frequent blackouts, as Kesh Nandlall, Head of the Executive Management Committee of the Guyana Power & Light (GPL), announced that the company is currently meeting electricity demand.
Nandlall made this announcement during his appearance before the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Economic Services yesterday.
In his presentation, Nandlall highlighted that from 2019 to 2023, there has been a 24% increase in demand, compared to a 14.9% increase between 2015 and 2018. He noted that this surge has placed significant pressure on GPL’s system.
According to GPL’s statistics, DBIS peak demand in 2022 was 153.3 megawatts (MW) and by the end of 2023, it grew to 186 MW. This year, the demand is expected to reach 232 MW. The gross generation for GPL is projected to increase at an annual average rate of 20% from 2024 to 2028, with DBIS gross generation forecast to grow at an annual average of 21% during the same period, and peak demand by 18%.
Nandlall explained that DBIS’ current available capacity is 209.4 MW. This includes contributions from the powership adding 36 MW, the Columbia power plant with 20.8 MW (a full capacity is 28.9 MW), the Wartsila plant commissioned in 2021 adding 46.5 MW, and four Caterpillar sets added in 2023 providing approximately 5 MW.
“In that period of time, we have increased generation by 116 MW…” Nandlall said.
He also noted that this capacity does not include 12.4 MW (5.5 MW + 6.9 MW) from two engines at Kingstown, Georgetown, which are currently down or 15.2 MW lost from other engines due to maintenance issues.
Nandlall disclosed that as of May 7, 2024, the peak demand was 183.2 MW – which is the highest for the year so far. To this end, he noted that GPL requires a spinning reserve of 27.71 MW. “This is one and a half times the largest operating set we have. Currently, that is the 18 MW which is one of the engines on the powership,” he said.
Nandlall continued: “To meet the current peak demand 183.2 MW plus the 27.71 MW spinning reserve comfortably, we need 210.91 MW which we are comfortable with at the current time.”
Nandlall also outlined GPL’s plans for the rest of the year to maintain and add capacity.
“By the end of May, the Columbia plant will commission which will add an additional 8.1 MW available generations, by the end of May also we would have completed one of the units at Kingstown which will add 6.9 MW, this will add up to which 224.4MW available generation,” the GPL executive said.
He also disclosed that by the end of July another engine will be operational adding 5.5 MW, bringing the total availability capacity to 229.9 MW.
Moreover, Nandlall said: “By the end of December, all maintenance issues should be caught up with as we have to incrementally bring down these sets to maintain them and we should have 245.1 MW.”
Regarding the powership, Nandlall mentioned a T-Connection from the ship docked in the Berbice River to the 69KV transmission line, which poses some risks of load-shedding. However, he said GPL is working on minimising these risks through infrastructure improvements and regular maintenance.

“We are going to continue to increase our power generation. Available generation should be 265 MW. We are going to add another 30 MW to the grid and we are working to source that at this point,” Nandlall added. To this end, he noted that there should be an excess available capacity of 5.2 MW. In closing, Nandlall assured that GPL’s plans for the rest of the year are in place to meet the capacity demands of its customers. The Committee was chaired by Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Shurwayne Holder. In attendance were other MP’s like Juretha Fernandes, Alistair Charlie, Juan Edghill, Hemraj Rajkumar and Dineshwar N. Jaiprashad. Also present were Prime Minister Mark Phillips and Head of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), Mahender Sharma. (Kaieteur News)…[+]