Guyana: APNU’s Parliamentary Inquiry on Powership Negotiations Prompts Government Response

On June 4, 2026, the government of Guyana addressed inquiries from the opposition party, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), concerning the status of negotiations for continued electricity supply from two Turkish powerships. Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar, issued a statement on Facebook, indicating that discussions were ongoing to secure electricity at the lowest possible cost.

Indar emphasized the government’s commitment to acting in the best interests of the populace, stating, “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.” Prior to this statement, several government officials, including President Irfaan Ali and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, had refrained from commenting on the matter, even as Karpowership warned of potential interruptions following the expiration of a grace period on June 1.

The minister reassured citizens that there would be no power outages due to a lack of generation capacity, but noted that further information would not be disclosed until a deal was finalized between Guyana Power and Light Inc. and UCC JV with Karpowership. “We continue to be in the negotiation process, while the powership maintains an uninterrupted supply of electricity to the national grid,” he stated.

Earlier that day, APNU parliamentarian Ganesh Mahipaul submitted an oral question to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Manzoor Nadir, seeking clarification on whether the powership operators had requested additional payments beyond existing contractual terms. Mahipaul also inquired about the government’s assessment of potential consequences for the national grid if the powerships ceased operations before the Gas-to-Energy Project became operational.

One of the powerships is located on the Demerara River at Meadowbank, Greater Georgetown, while the other is stationed at Everton on the Berbice River. The Karpowership’s warning of a possible shutdown comes as the country awaits the first power from the 300 megawatt Wales Gas to Energy plant, which has faced multiple delays. Without the powerships, Guyana Power and Light lacks sufficient generating capacity to meet a peak demand exceeding 200 megawatts.

Source: demerarawaves.com

Follow us on Instagram: @news.tringlobe