Press Release

Reason for DBIS Shutdown identified and corrected

15th April 2021
Georgetown, Guyana: Wednesday, April 14, 2021: The Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL) wishes to inform the public that the source of the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS) shutdown that occurred on Monday, April 12, 2021 was identified and corrected.
A comprehensive investigation that was conducted by a GPL Technical team identified two damaged conductors and connectors on the 69 kV Transmission Line 3 bay (an area that houses circuit breakers and disconnect switches) at the Garden of Eden (GoE) Power Plant.
The damaged conductors and connectors resulted in an overload of two Wartsila engines at GoE, which triggered the loss of another two engines at the same location, followed by six other engines at the  Kingston Power Plant and the eventual collapse of the DBIS.
Our company continues to conduct comprehensive maintenance and invest in significant upgrades of the GoE Power Plant in preparation for the commissioning of a new 45.5 Megawatt Power Plant.