–power theft remains big problem
As it continues to work to curb the frequency of outages particularly in Demerara, the power company is urging care as the situation remains tenuous and as it struggles with rampant electricity theft.
At a televised press conference at the studios of state-owned National Communications Network yesterday, Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Chief Executive Officer Bharrat Dindyal, reiterated that available generation has reduced, making peak demand difficult to satisfy. In January, and then again in March the company suffered failures to vital parts of two important machines. The alternator for one of the machines has been shipped to the UK for repairs, while parts for the second one are expected in August. However, he said that by today the company expected that a machine at the Garden of Eden power station would return to service and by next week another vital machine at the same plant is expected back in service.
Dindyal said some of the power outages also resulted from network problems. According to him, consumers can play a role in reducing this by calling in to report network problems. He said if no report was received and the circuit was re-powered with the fault remaining, it could interrupt supply again.
“We are therefore soliciting the assistance of our consumers to report any network defect they may notice,” he urged.
Meanwhile, Dindyal reported that work is moving apace on the new 20 megawatt power plant in Kingston, which is expected to achieve commercial operation later this year. “This would add to the much needed base load capacity to Demerara allowing adequate generation,” he said.
According to him, work is also progressing on the 20 MW plant at Kingston, which could be completed later this year. But even as the company continues to work on several other capital projects to boost in generation capacity, electricity theft remains its greatest challenge. He pointed out that night raids are being done from time to time but this was still not enough to prevent theft.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, who has ministerial responsibility for the electricity sector and was also present at the conference, said that electricity theft was a matter that had to be dealt with.
On behalf of the power company he appealed to consumers to report theft when and where they observed it.
GPL Chairman Winston Brassington recounted that between 2007 and 2008, 23,000 illegal connections were found and severed. Only 800 persons were taken to court and so far only two have had to face imprisonment.
Dindyal said theft was increasing and even though there has been significant expansion of the national grid to facilitate electrification of several households under the Unserved Areas Electrification Programme (UAEP), 36% still have illegal connections.
He pointed out because the infrastructure was in place, it presented an opportunity for some persons to steal power.
As a result the company is now proposing to redesign circuits in some communities including Sophia so as to enable the separation of individual households, making it more difficult for opportunists to “hook–on”.
