Transformer overload, internal fault trigger power outage at GuyExpo – GPL

The Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) has clarified reports circulating on social media regarding an electrical incident at GuyExpo on Thursday. Reports are that at about 18:00h, power was interrupted to approximately 15 booths on the tarmac of the Exhibition Centre. GPL’s technical team responded immediately and discovered that a 50 Kilovolt-Ampere (KVA) transformer serving the area had burnt out. The team determined that the transformer failed due to overloading.
According to the power company, a replacement 100 KVA transformer was installed, but it also sustained damage when connected to the circuit. Further inspection revealed that the root cause of the issue was an internal electrical fault within the Exhibition Centre’s network.
To restore power, a section of the internal network was isolated, and a new 75 kVA transformer was installed. Power was fully restored to the affected booths by 20:15h.
GPL, in a statement on Friday, emphasised that the incident was caused by a surge in load demand and the internal fault and was not a failure of the wider GPL network. GuyExpo, themed “Transformation Through Entrepreneurship and Innovation”, was opened on Friday night at the National Exhibition Centre, Sophia. The event, scheduled for November 13–16, 2025, is featuring over 290 booths with exhibitors.