GPL points to improved supply over past 12 to 18 months
Stabroek News
October 25, 2002
The power company has pointed to an improvement in its supply position over the past 12-18 months, as it responded to Wednesday's letter from Prime Minister Sam Hinds calling on it to halt and reverse the decline in its performance.
Chief Executive Officer of Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) John Lynn, assured yesterday in a letter to the prime minister that the company's management and employees "are doing everything possible within the limits of available resources to ensure that the supply position continues to improve and that breakdown sequences such as those mentioned become increasingly rare."
However, Lynn acknowledged that in the Georgetown area since the end of September there have been a number of co-incidental plant breakdowns that have resulted in a loss of supply to the company's customers.
"It takes a series of virtually simultaneous events to cause extensive loss of supply as happened on Monday, but these are now relatively rare occurrences," the CEO said.
The PM's letter stemmed from Monday evening's outage in the city which he noted had occurred at a time when the Bartica township was suffering a total shutdown and an ongoing power problem is affecting the East Berbice area.
In Berbice, Lynn explained, the supply position has been affected primarily by a fault on one of the main generators in Canefield, and it has been necessary to get advice from an overseas manufacturer who is expected here this week to recommend the appropriate approach to effect a repair.
Meanwhile, GPL has moved mobile generators to Berbice from the Demerara area to mitigate the impact of the fault on the supply position, the CEO said.
He stated further that the company through the media has been explaining the causes of the various outages to customers, while also keeping the government advised of the situation on an on-going basis.
"You and the government may be assured of our continuing efforts in the interests of our customers and the country," Lynn's letter concluded.