Major Power Outages Hit Guyana on Good Friday

Major Power Outages Hit Guyana on Good Friday

Major Power Outages Hit Guyana on Good Friday

The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) revealed that what began as a damaged cable at its Kingston location resulted in a cascading series of shutdowns at the Kingston and Garden of Eden plants, leading to widespread blackouts throughout Good Friday. Thousands of customers endured power outages as a result of these system failures, with restoration efforts extending well into the night.

Prime Minister (Retired) Brigadier Mark Phillips, overseeing the energy sector, visited GPL’s control center to assess the situation firsthand. He was briefed by Systems Control and Operations Manager Navin Deonarine, who detailed the sequence of events leading to the outages.

Deonarine explained, “At 2:44 this morning (Friday), we experienced a shutdown caused by a damaged cable at our Kingston location. Despite efforts to restore power, subsequent failures occurred, including one at the Garden of Eden location.” He assured that the entire system was eventually restored, emphasizing ongoing efforts to prevent such incidents in the future.

Accompanied by Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn and GPL’s Executive and Management Committee member Kesh Nandlall, Prime Minister Phillips reassured citizens that power would remain uninterrupted for the weekend.

In recent developments, GPL announced a partnership with InterEnergy Group (IEG), aimed at improving electricity services. The collaboration, formalized through a Memorandum of Understanding signed in January, will leverage IEG’s expertise in electricity generation, transmission, and smart metering.

Meanwhile, GPL has grappled with power failure challenges, necessitating the deployment of additional power generators last year. The anticipated launch of the Gas-to-Energy (GtE) Project next year promises cheaper and more reliable power for Guyanese, with completed infrastructure expected to yield significant cost reductions.

However, electricity demand continues to rise steadily, outpacing GPL’s current generation capacity. The persistent issue of electricity theft further compounds GPL’s challenges, costing the company millions annually.

Despite these obstacles, efforts are underway to bolster Guyana’s energy infrastructure and ensure reliable power supply for all citizens.

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