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PARAMARIBO, Suriname, CMC – Suriname is on the brink of a severe power crisis as its hydroelectric power station faces reduced output due to critically low reservoir water levels, a senior member of the national power producer, EBS, has said.
EBS Operations Manager, Robert Pancham, said the company is exploring the use of emergency generators to offset the anticipated shortfall should the dam’s production continue to decline.
Pancham warned that without swift action and widespread public cooperation in conserving electricity, load shedding will become unavoidable in the Dutch-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country.
He said EBS will soon launch a public awareness campaign under the slogan “Turn it off or it will go off!”
A historically low water level in the reservoir, the result of last year’s extreme drought exacerbated by climate change, has placed Suriname on the brink of a power crisis.
Despite the current rainy season, typically marked by heavy rainfall, the expected rains have not materialized due to the ongoing climate crisis, preventing the reservoir from replenishing.
If the water level continues to decline, turbines will be forced to shut down, reducing the power supply from Staatsolie Power Company Suriname (SPCS) to the EBS.
Lacking sufficient generation capacity of its own, the EBS will be unable to compensate for this shortfall.
“The water level in the lake has never been so low, not even during Suralco’s management of the dam.” Operations manager Pancham confirmed the severity of the situation, stating, “The situation is becoming precarious because the water level continues to drop. Despite it being the rainy season, we see no recovery,” according to a well placed source.
Pancham warned that further reductions in SPCS’s power generation at Afobaka pose significant risks and that a deeper production cut would render SPCS’s thermal energy output at Tout Lui Faut insufficient to offset the dam’s reduced output.
“The threat is very real. We will have no other choice than to implement load shedding,” Pancham stated.
The EBS has alerted authorities and is in discussions with the government regarding the urgent import of emergency generators. Pancham highlighted the regional scarcity of rental power in South America, driven by power shortages in other countries relying on hydroelectric power, which is both limiting availability and driving up costs.
Despite these challenges, the EBS has identified a supplier with Pancham insisting “we must act quickly and finalize the contracts”.
The company aims to secure 30 megawatts of generating capacity through rental agreements. Renting 30 megawatts of emergency generators for six months is estimated to cost between 20 and 45 million US dollars, encompassing both fixed (rental) and variable (fuel) costs. However, the EBS currently lacks the necessary funds.
Intensive consultations are underway between the EBS and the government, with Pancham anticipating a decision this week. Any further delay risks losing access to the intended generators.
Grace-Anne Smith 
