The Guyana Power and Light Company is distancing itself from the oil spill of the coast of Tobago, which has triggered a massive clean up exercise by the sister CARICOM state, costing millions of dollars.

Reports have surfaced that the spilled oil was heavy fuel that was being transported to Guyana for the power company. However, in a statement last evening, GPL indicated that it has not received any notification from any of its contracted suppliers that they have encountered difficulties which have resulted in the loss of cargo. GPL said it not related to the unfortunate incident.

“The Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) tendered for the Supply and Delivery of Heavy Fuel Oil in June 2023, via national competitive bidding. Six Bids were received. The tender was awarded on October 24, 2023, to Staatsolie MaatSchappij Suriname N.V. (the first ranked bidder).  An additional award for the supply and delivery of HFO was awarded to the joint venture Rapid Results Inc. and Osher International Holdings LLC (the second ranked bidder) to augment GPL’s increasing consumption of HFO and supply requirements. The terms of both contracts require the suppliers to deliver the fuel to GPL’s ports along the Demerara River. Title, ownership, and risk of loss for the fuel passes from the suppliers to GPL at the discharge port. GPL has not received any notification from any of its contracted fuel suppliers that they have encountered difficulties with their vessel(s) resulting in the loss of cargo”, GPL said.

On Wednesday, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said there should be a “full-fledged” investigation into the incident.

Multiple sources close to the Guyana Government and the state-owned Guyana Power and Light Company have indicated that the vessel, Gulfstream, which overturned and spilled oil into the sea off the coast of Toabgo, was destined for Guyana with fuel for the Guyana Power and Light Company.

News Source understands that there may have been an arrangement for the fuel to be supplied to the company, but the arrangement may have been shelved.

There is concern about the source of the fuel that was spilled. Marine tracker websites captured satellite images of the vessel in Pozuelo Bay, Venezuela, during the entire final week of January.

The vessel which capsized off the coast of Tobago, has spilled gallons of oil into the sea, causing a major headache and clean-up exercise for the authorities in Trinidad and Tobago.

Both Guyana and the twin-island Republic are investigating the incident, since the crew of the vessel and a barge that was accompanying the vessel that overturned, are still to be located.

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