HGP Nightly News – Electricity demand in Region 10 has climbed to 15.1 megawatts, surpassing the approximately 14 megawatts presently available, as the government rushes additional generators to Linden and asks sawmillers to reduce operations during peak hours.
Public Utilities and Aviation Minister Deodat Indar said on Monday that hotter weather and increased economic activity had pushed the Region 10 system beyond its existing limits.
Linden’s electricity is supplied through generation operated by Bosai Minerals Group.
Indar said the region experiences two major demand peaks: between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and again from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Sawmill operators have consequently been asked to shift some activities to off-peak periods to ease pressure on the system.
“There are two peaks in Linden, meaning that the power demand spikes at its highest during those two times of the day,” he explained.
President Irfaan Ali, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh and Indar have reportedly met sawmill operators to discuss the shortage and the government’s emergency response.
As part of that plan, the Hinterland Electrification Company Inc. and Bosai have agreed to install an additional three megawatts of generating capacity at the company’s Linden facility.
The government is also relocating unused generators from mining operations.
According to Indar, Guyana Manganese Inc. has five one-megawatt engines at Port Kaituma that are not presently being used. Three of those units are being transported to Linden, potentially adding another three megawatts.
Discussions have also been held with other mining companies, including Rusal, to identify unused generating equipment that could be temporarily redirected.
Private power operators have indicated that they may be able to supply approximately three additional megawatts, but the required transformers must first be acquired.
While the emergency generators could raise Linden’s available capacity above current demand, Indar did not provide a definitive date for when all the equipment would be installed and commissioned.
The minister also outlined supply problems affecting other regions, showing that Guyana’s electricity challenges involve not only generation shortages but ageing engines and transmission bottlenecks.
In Region Two, the installed generation is reportedly sufficient to meet demand on paper. However, frequent engine trips have contributed to outages.
The government plans to transfer approximately two megawatts of generation from the North-West District to Essequibo. This would allow several small Caterpillar units, which have operated beyond their recommended overhaul periods, to be removed from service for maintenance.
A tender for eight megawatts of additional generation for Region Two has closed and is undergoing final evaluation, Indar said.
Region Three has experienced a particularly sharp increase in demand, rising from approximately 26 megawatts to 41 megawatts.
That growth has placed significant pressure on the submarine cable transporting electricity across the Demerara River from Region Four.
Indar said the cable has a recommended safe transmission capacity of approximately seven to eight megawatts but recently carried about 15 megawatts. He warned that failure of the cable could cause serious supply problems across Region Three.
The government has therefore started a project to install a second submarine cable between the Princes Street substation in Georgetown and Vreed-en-Hoop. Contractors have mobilised, and installation work is expected to begin shortly.
In Region Four, work was completed on Sunday at the new Georgetown substation, which receives approximately 70 megawatts from the power ship.
Another five megawatts are expected to be added to the power ship’s contribution, though Indar did not state precisely when that capacity would enter the grid.
The East Bank corridor is also facing transmission constraints. The single line from Garden of Eden through Timehri and onto the Soesdyke-Linden Highway has reportedly reached its thermal limit, resulting in trips when demand peaks.
A contract has been awarded to Ramatar and Sons to construct another transmission line. Materials are being moved to the area, with the installation of poles expected to begin this week.
Indar said the commissioning of a new 9.3-megawatt generating unit at Garden of Eden has increased total available national generation to approximately 266.3 megawatts.
With national peak demand averaging around 240 megawatts, the figures indicate a reserve of approximately 26 megawatts.
However, the problems in Linden, Essequibo and Region Three demonstrate that adequate generation at the national level does not automatically prevent regional shortages when transmission limits, maintenance problems and the location of generating equipment restrict where electricity can be delivered.
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