Guyana Power and Light
Encyclopedia
Guyana Power and Light is a utility company in Guyana
, providing electric power
in the country. Its distribution system is unique because it is supplied with 50 and 60 cycle power. Domestic voltage can be 110 or 220 depending on the area.
GUYANA POWER & LIGHT INC. is the main official supplier of electricity
in Guyana, South America
with its franchise area encompassing the entire three counties of Demerara
, Berbice
and Essequibo
.
Prior to 1 October, 1999, the Company, then named the Guyana Electricity Corporation was wholly owned by the Government of Guyana. A 50/50 equity partnership was established between the Government of Guyana and a consortium comprising the Commonwealth Development Corporation
(CDC) of the United Kingdom
and the Electricity Supply Board International (ESBI) of Ireland
which brought into being the new Company, GPL. This partnership dissolved in April 2003 and GPL reverted to 100 percent ownership by the government and people of Guyana.
in Guyana started out before the turn of the twentieth century as several individual entities, private/community enterprises providing their own power. Georgetown, a relatively small enclave, received power from a private supplier. The mining
areas of Linden and Everton (upper Berbice) received power from Alcan and Reynolds, both expatriate companies that respectively owned the Mackenzie (Linden) and Berbice-based bauxite
operations. The municipality of New Amsterdam was powered by another private entrepreneur.
The International Power Company (IPC) of Canada
was in operation in Georgetown at the turn of the twentieth century.
The Demerara Electric Company was established in 1925 when it purchased the assets of IPC.
The British Guiana Electricity Company (BGEC) came into being in 1957, and in 1960 it purchased the assets of the Demerara Electric Company.
After Independence in May 1966, the BGEC was nationalized
and the Guyana Electricity Company (GEC) was established, wholly owned by the state.
Thirty three years later, the Government of Guyana divested 50 percent of its ownership and control and the company was renamed Guyana Power & Light Inc. The investor was a UK-based consortium
comprising the Electricity Supply Board International (ESBI) and the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC).
The divestiture failed and the company once again became wholly owned by the state on 1 May 2003.
GPL employs over 1200 workers countrywide, with a multitude of industrial and administrative skills.
Guyana
Guyana , officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, previously the colony of British Guiana, is a sovereign state on the northern coast of South America that is culturally part of the Anglophone Caribbean. Guyana was a former colony of the Dutch and of the British...
, providing electric power
Electric power
Electric power is the rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt.-Circuits:Electric power, like mechanical power, is represented by the letter P in electrical equations...
in the country. Its distribution system is unique because it is supplied with 50 and 60 cycle power. Domestic voltage can be 110 or 220 depending on the area.
GUYANA POWER & LIGHT INC. is the main official supplier of electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
in Guyana, South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
with its franchise area encompassing the entire three counties of Demerara
Demerara
Demerara was a region in South America in what is now Guyana that was colonised by the Dutch in 1611. The British invaded and captured the area in 1796...
, Berbice
Berbice
Berbice is a region along the Berbice River in Guyana, which was between 1627 and 1815 a colony of the Netherlands. After having been ceded to the United Kingdom in the latter year, it was merged with Essequibo and Demerara to form the colony of British Guiana in 1831...
and Essequibo
Essequibo
Essequibo may refer to:* The Essequibo River is one of the larger South American rivers located in the country of Guyana.* The former Dutch colony of Essequibo, in the region of the river...
.
Prior to 1 October, 1999, the Company, then named the Guyana Electricity Corporation was wholly owned by the Government of Guyana. A 50/50 equity partnership was established between the Government of Guyana and a consortium comprising the Commonwealth Development Corporation
Commonwealth Development Corporation
The Commonwealth Development Corporation, now known as CDC Group plc, is a British development organisation owned by the UK Government...
(CDC) of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and the Electricity Supply Board International (ESBI) of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
which brought into being the new Company, GPL. This partnership dissolved in April 2003 and GPL reverted to 100 percent ownership by the government and people of Guyana.
Operations Centers
- •Main Street (GeorgetownGeorgetown, GuyanaGeorgetown, estimated population 239,227 , is the capital and largest city of Guyana, located in the Demerara-Mahaica region. It is situated on the Atlantic Ocean coast at the mouth of the Demerara River and it was nicknamed 'Garden City of the Caribbean.' Georgetown is located at . The city serves...
) - •Middle Street (Georgetown)
- •Vreed-en-Hoop (West Demerara)
- •Anna Regina (Essequibo Coast)
- •Bartica (Essequibo)
- •Leguan (Essequibo Islands)
- •Onverwagt (West Coast Berbice)
- •New Amsterdam (East Coast Berbice)
- •Hamshire (East Coast Berbice)
- •Corriverton (East Coast Berbice)
BRIEF HISTORICAL REVIEW OF ELECTRICITY IN GUYANA
Electricity generationElectricity generation
Electricity generation is the process of generating electric energy from other forms of energy.The fundamental principles of electricity generation were discovered during the 1820s and early 1830s by the British scientist Michael Faraday...
in Guyana started out before the turn of the twentieth century as several individual entities, private/community enterprises providing their own power. Georgetown, a relatively small enclave, received power from a private supplier. The mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
areas of Linden and Everton (upper Berbice) received power from Alcan and Reynolds, both expatriate companies that respectively owned the Mackenzie (Linden) and Berbice-based bauxite
Bauxite
Bauxite is an aluminium ore and is the main source of aluminium. This form of rock consists mostly of the minerals gibbsite Al3, boehmite γ-AlO, and diaspore α-AlO, in a mixture with the two iron oxides goethite and hematite, the clay mineral kaolinite, and small amounts of anatase TiO2...
operations. The municipality of New Amsterdam was powered by another private entrepreneur.
The International Power Company (IPC) of Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
was in operation in Georgetown at the turn of the twentieth century.
The Demerara Electric Company was established in 1925 when it purchased the assets of IPC.
The British Guiana Electricity Company (BGEC) came into being in 1957, and in 1960 it purchased the assets of the Demerara Electric Company.
After Independence in May 1966, the BGEC was nationalized
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
and the Guyana Electricity Company (GEC) was established, wholly owned by the state.
Thirty three years later, the Government of Guyana divested 50 percent of its ownership and control and the company was renamed Guyana Power & Light Inc. The investor was a UK-based consortium
Consortium
A consortium is an association of two or more individuals, companies, organizations or governments with the objective of participating in a common activity or pooling their resources for achieving a common goal....
comprising the Electricity Supply Board International (ESBI) and the Commonwealth Development Corporation (CDC).
The divestiture failed and the company once again became wholly owned by the state on 1 May 2003.
GPL employs over 1200 workers countrywide, with a multitude of industrial and administrative skills.