Guyana: Guyana Government Remains Silent on Potential Blackouts Amid Karpowership Warning

Officials from the Guyana government have not commented on whether an agreement has been reached for two powerships to continue supplying electricity to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) to prevent potential blackouts. Attempts to obtain information from President Irfaan Ali, Minister of Public Utilities Deodat Indar, and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo were unsuccessful, as they did not respond to inquiries. Alfonso de Armas, Director-General of the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation, referred questions to Minister Indar, who was engaged in a presidential outreach in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

Concerns have been raised regarding the measures being taken to prevent blackouts, especially since Karpowership has indicated it may cease operations if a new agreement is not reached by Monday, June 1. The government officials did not clarify whether GPL and Power Producers and Distributors Inc. have adequate capacity to manage the situation if one or both powerships are turned off.

On May 25, Karpowership communicated to Minister Indar, with a copy sent to GPL’s Executive Team Leader Kesh Nandlall, stating that operations could be impacted without a deal by the deadline. Karpowership expressed willingness to extend operations until June 1, 2026, to ensure continuity.

The company emphasized the need for expedited negotiations and approval processes to finalize a new term agreement. Karpowership highlighted the importance of aligning commercial terms and pricing structures across all operations in the country.

The vessels operated by Karpowership contribute 60 megawatts and 36 megawatts of electricity to the grid, while the remaining demand is met by generators owned by GPL and Power Producers and Distributors Inc. The Wales gas-to-energy power plant, which is expected to produce 300 megawatts, is not anticipated to be operational until late 2026.

Source: demerarawaves.com