Abiamofo: US$ 500 million needed to reduce loadshedding

Minister David Abiamofo of Natural Resources warned on Tuesday in De Nationale Assemblee (Suriname’s parliament) that the Suriname electricity shortage cannot be resolved with a quick intervention. He estimates that approximately US$ 500 million is needed for sufficient new generation capacity. Implementation of the necessary projects is expected to take two to three years.

In the EPAR area, electricity demand during peak hours has now risen to approximately 280 megawatts. According to Abiamofo, this compares with approximately 254 megawatts of available generation capacity at present. This means that a shortfall of around 26 megawatts may arise at peak times, even without taking unexpected disruptions into account.

Pressure increases especially during the dry period. Due to the heat, households and businesses use more electricity, including for cooling, while water in the reservoir must also be used cautiously. That water is needed for hydroelectric production at Afobaka.

Suriname electricity shortage becomes noticeable during peak hours

Abiamofo made it clear that Suriname could technically produce more electricity from hydropower temporarily. This could reduce or even prevent load shedding at certain times. According to him, the government is deliberately not choosing this option, because additional production now would require more water from the reservoir.

If the expected rains later fall short, this could create a bigger problem at the end of the year or early next year. The government therefore wants to retain sufficient water reserves and, according to the minister, aims to keep at least 110 megawatts of hydroelectric capacity available.

Generating more electricity is possible now, but could cause greater shortages later.

No reserve makes electricity grid vulnerable

According to Abiamofo, electricity demand in the EPAR area has increased by approximately 10 percent compared to 2025. The central grid serves Paramaribo, Wanica, Para, Commewijne and areas towards Saramacca, among others. Growing demand has made the Suriname electricity shortage during peak hours even more visible.

An important problem is that virtually no reserve capacity is available. In a healthy electricity system, additional capacity must be kept in reserve to absorb an unexpected malfunction or the outage of a generating unit. If an installation now fails, the shortfall can immediately become greater and EBS (Suriname’s electricity company) may have to disconnect additional areas.

Hospitals and water sources spared as much as possible

According to the minister, load shedding is currently mainly applied in the EPAR area. In other districts, electricity supply is proceeding normally, he said. Two new Caterpillar generators have recently been purchased for Nickerie to strengthen local generation capacity.

During necessary disconnections, EBS tries to spare vital facilities as much as possible. Abiamofo mentioned hospitals and well fields of the Surinaamsche Waterleiding Maatschappij, where no backup generator is available, among others. Full protection may, however, become more difficult if the shortfall increases further.

Fixed load shedding schedule remains difficult

According to Abiamofo, a reliable schedule allowing residents and businesses to see exactly when electricity will be switched off remains difficult to implement. EBS does make daily plans, but unexpected disruptions and changes in consumption may result in other lines having to be disconnected at short notice.

Key News previously reported that load shedding may remain unpredictable due to fluctuating loads on the EBS grid. As a result, an announced schedule can only provide an indication and cannot always guarantee which neighbourhood will be without electricity at what time.

Maintenance postponed and society asked to save electricity

The tight capacity also has consequences for technical maintenance. Work is postponed where possible when shutting down an installation would directly lead to more load shedding. According to the minister, the temporary disconnections are intended precisely to prevent overloading from leading to a larger malfunction or the outage of the entire grid.

Abiamofo again called on households, businesses and government offices to use electricity sparingly. Especially during peak hours, reducing consumption can help temporarily limit the Suriname electricity shortage. According to him, a similar call had an effect last year, but this year there is still insufficient decline in consumption.

US$ 500 million needed for structural expansion

According to the minister, much larger investments are needed for a lasting solution. Both EBS and Staatsolie will have to invest in new generation capacity. Consideration is being given to solar energy, additional thermal production and emergency facilities. New installations must first be purchased, transported, built and connected to the existing grid.

Abiamofo estimates that approximately US$ 500 million is needed to realise the required expansion over the next two to three years. EBS is said to be working on a tender for solar energy, while Staatsolie also has plans for sustainable and thermal production. These projects therefore cannot immediately resolve the current Suriname electricity shortage.

Energy sector must move from plans to implementation

Abiamofo’s warning is in line with the position of the Energie Autoriteit Suriname. The regulator recently stated that the energy crisis shows that the Electricity Sector Plan must not remain merely a policy document, but must be translated into concrete investments, standards for security of supply and requirements for sufficient production and reserves.

According to Abiamofo, part of the problem also lies with the financial position of EBS and SWM. He said the utility companies had for years not been allowed to operate fully in line with market rates and on a cost-covering basis. As a result, sufficient room for their own investments is lacking, and major projects remain dependent on financing or support from the government.

Load shedding remains a real possibility for now

In the short term, there is little room for manoeuvre. Additional generation capacity cannot be added within a few weeks, and the government does not want to draw on the reservoir water too quickly. As long as demand during peak hours remains greater than what can safely be supplied, EBS may therefore resort to temporary disconnections.

The debate in the coming period will mainly revolve around how quickly financing becomes available, which projects are implemented first and how costs are distributed. Without timely investments, the Suriname electricity shortage threatens to remain a recurring problem for households, businesses and vital services.