Government extends Wartsila contract by another four years

Georgetown: The Guyana Government extended its contract with Finnish company Wartsila for another four years to operate and maintain its power plants.

The contract will also see Wartsila working to convert the frequency output of the Kingston 1 power plant of the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) from 50Hz to 60Hz. 

Wartsila said that the contract, until 2016, will cover responsibilities for the production of some 80MW of power.

The company signed its first operations and maintenance (O&M) agreement in 1994, ensuring the “continual optimization of the plants' performance, efficiency and availability.  Indicative of this capability is the fact that the engines, which were installed almost twenty years ago, are still in operation and have provided an uninterrupted flow of power to consumers in Guyana.”

With Guyana’s demand for electricity currently centered on using fossil fuel and more than 80MW needed daily on the coast, on average, the Wartsila-made sets have been crucial.