The Government of Guyana is currently in negotiations with the operators of two power ships that are supplying a total of 96 megawatts (MW) of electricity to the national grid. These floating power plants, positioned at Meadow Bank in the Demerara River and Everton in the Berbice River, have been operational since 2024 under a two-year contract with Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL), involving a joint venture between Turkish firm Karpowership and Qatar-based UCC Energy International.
Concerns have arisen regarding the status of the contract, which has reportedly expired, prompting discussions for a renewal agreement. Minister of Public Utilities Deodat Indar addressed these concerns, emphasizing that the government is committed to securing favorable terms for the country. He stated, “I would like to assure the public that the Government of Guyana is working in the best interests of the people of Guyana to get the best possible commercial rate for the renewal of the contract.”
Despite reports suggesting that the company might cease operations without a new agreement, Indar confirmed that both vessels are still operational during the negotiation process. He reassured the public that there are no power outages due to a lack of generation capacity. Instead, he attributed recent power interruptions to grid maintenance and disruptions caused by contractors.
The power ships were introduced as a temporary solution to meet rising electricity demand while the country awaits the commissioning of the Gas-to-Energy (GtE) Project at Wales, West Bank Demerara. GPL Team Lead Kesh Nandlall noted that peak electricity demand has reached 236 MW and is expected to rise significantly in the coming years, potentially reaching 1,650 MW by 2030.
Currently, GPL has about 260 MW of firm capacity available on the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS), with expectations to increase that to approximately 285 MW this year. The Wales Gas-to-Energy Project is anticipated to add 300 MW of generating capacity and reduce electricity costs when operational later this year. Additionally, plans for a second phase of the project aim to deliver another 300 MW by 2030 to accommodate the growing electricity demand.
Source: snn.gy
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