Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) has urged contractors working on major electricity projects to meet their agreed deadlines, following a meeting to review progress across its infrastructure programme.
However, the company’s statement did not identify the projects reviewed, their completion dates or how far works have advanced.
The meeting was led by Kesh Nandlall, Team Leader of GPL’s Executive Management Committee, and attended by director Ryan Ross and other company representatives. Representatives of InterEnergy, PowerChina, China Machinery Engineering Corporation and Kalpataru Projects International Limited also participated.
According to GPL, the contractors provided updates on ongoing works, implementation schedules and upcoming milestones. The company said it reviewed progress against agreed schedules, identified matters requiring attention and emphasised the need to meet deadlines.
GPL said the projects are intended to increase capacity, modernise the electricity network and improve reliability as demand grows. It did not disclose the matters requiring attention or whether any projects were behind schedule.
The meeting follows a similar review involving the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation, GPL and the same companies in September. Kiskadee Watch reported on September 22 that the statement issued after that meeting also omitted project completion dates and details of construction progress.
The infrastructure programme involves substantial investment in transmission and distribution. Stabroek News reported in April 2025 that GPL signed contracts worth US$422.2 million, approximately $90 billion, with PowerChina and Kalpataru to extend its transmission network. The works were intended to facilitate the delivery of additional electricity, including power from the gas-to-energy project.
In November 2025, GPL announced a further US$199 million contract with Kalpataru and a US$35.93 million contract with China National Machinery Import and Export Corporation for network improvements. The company said those investments would reduce outages and improve power quality across several service areas.
InterEnergy’s role includes supervisory, engineering and project management consultancy services under a US$15.6 million agreement signed in October 2025, Stabroek News reported.
Progress on the works comes amid continuing pressure on electricity supply. At a September 7 press conference, GPL officials said available generation was only just sufficient to meet demand, leaving inadequate reserve capacity to respond to disruptions. The company reported 265.6 megawatts of available generation, while peak demand had reached 257 megawatts on September 1. :
GPL also identified overloaded feeders and transformers as contributors to outages, underscoring the need for network improvements alongside additional generating capacity.
GPL has been struggling to maintain a reliable electricity supply, with repeated outages affecting households and businesses across the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System. In September, company officials acknowledged that available generation was barely keeping pace with demand, leaving insufficient reserve capacity to cushion unexpected disruptions. Overloaded feeders and transformers have also contributed to outages, while major transmission and substation works remain underway. The difficulties have persisted despite substantial government spending on additional generation and network upgrades.
Source: Kiskadee Watch
