GPL promises more stable connection for Demerara–Berbice as maintenance wraps up
After months of frustrating blackouts across Berbice and sections of the wider Demerara–Berbice grid, GPL’s Chief Executive Officer, Kesh Nandlall, says the utility is now better equipped to keep the lights on this holiday season.
Residents have faced repeated outages in recent months, triggered by technical faults, feeder burns, transmission line disruptions and extended shutdowns during scheduled upgrades, most recently a full-day power cut in Berbice last week that left many irate.
Nandlall explained that the bulk of the maintenance work that contributed to these interruptions has now been completed in Region Six and across the system. He noted that the installation of a new 60 MVA transformer at the K2 substation had caused some temporary instability, but the grid has since stabilised.
With Christmas approaching, GPL is preparing for a peak electricity demand of around 215 megawatts. According to the CEO, the company has more than 250 megawatts reliably available, placing the generation side in a “comfortable” position heading into the busiest period of the year.
While he cautioned that unforeseen faults such as fires can still disrupt supply, as seen last Thursday night, Nandlall said GPL is shifting its focus solely to emergency responsiveness through the holidays. Extra crews will be placed across the network, drawn from staff who usually handle maintenance.
With maintenance behind them and additional personnel on standby, Nandlall assured customers that the company intends to work “very hard” to deliver a more dependable power supply as families prepare for the festive season.
