Suriname is grappling with a severe structural electricity deficit that has forced state power utility Energie Bedrijven Suriname (EBS) to implement rolling scheduled blackouts, or loadshedding, in the country’s most populated coastal region, Natural Resources Minister David Abiamofo has confirmed. Addressing questions from members of the National Assembly (DNA) on Tuesday, the minister laid out the full scope of the energy crisis, its causes, and the long-term investments needed to resolve the persistent power shortages.
The current gap in generation capacity has been exacerbated by the annual dry season, creating a dual strain on the country’s energy system, Abiamofo explained. On the demand side, rising temperatures have pushed up electricity consumption, driven largely by increased use of air conditioning. On the supply side, dropping water levels in the country’s main hydroelectric reservoir have forced authorities to limit hydropower output to avoid a far worse crisis later this year.
While Minister Abiamofo confirmed that it would be technically possible to increase hydropower production from the Afobaka dam immediately to eliminate or reduce current loadshedding, the government has deliberately rejected this short-term fix. “It would be unwise to generate more hydroelectric power now only to face far larger problems by the end of this year or early next,” he noted. Uncertainty over rainfall levels during the upcoming short wet season leaves the country at risk of total reservoir depletion if water use is increased too quickly. The government’s policy is to maintain a minimum 110 megawatts (MW) of reserve hydropower capacity to guard against a worst-case scenario if rains fail to arrive as expected.
Across the EPAR region – which covers the capital Paramaribo, Wanica, Para, Commewijne and extends into Saramacca, home to the majority of Suriname’s population – peak electricity demand has grown by roughly 10% compared to 2025, hitting around 280 MW. Current available generation only totals 254 MW, leaving a 26 MW deficit during peak usage hours, with no extra reserve capacity to accommodate unexpected equipment outages. This lack of buffer makes the entire grid extremely vulnerable: if a single generation unit goes offline unexpectedly, the deficit immediately grows, forcing more widespread blackouts than planned.
Rolling blackouts are currently limited to the EPAR region, with power supplies holding steady in other districts, after two new Caterpillar generators were recently installed to meet demand in Nickerie. When implementing loadshedding, EBS prioritizes sparing critical public infrastructure, including hospitals and water treatment facilities operated by the Suriname Water Company (SWM) that lack their own backup generators. Publishing a fixed, long-term rolling blackout schedule for residents has proven unworkable, Abiamofo added, because the absence of reserve capacity means unexpected outages can immediately upend daily planning.
The tight generation capacity has also forced utility operators to delay routine maintenance work wherever possible, in a bid to keep as much capacity online as possible to limit blackouts. The intentional rolling outages are not a sign of mismanagement, Abiamofo stressed: they are a deliberate precaution to prevent widespread total grid collapse caused by overloading the system.
The minister renewed a public appeal to households, businesses and government agencies to cut back on unnecessary electricity use, noting that a similar appeal last year successfully reduced demand and limited the scope of loadshedding. So far this year, consumption has not dropped enough to ease the strain on the grid, with particularly sharp growth recorded near EBS’s main generation facilities. All government ministries and public offices have been ordered to reduce their power use as part of the effort.
To resolve the crisis on a permanent basis, the minister estimates Suriname needs $500 million in investment over the next two to three years to expand generation capacity and lock in long-term reliable power supply. Planned investments include new solar energy projects, emergency backup generation facilities, and expanded thermal power generation from both EBS and state oil company Staatsolie. A tender for new solar capacity is expected to be launched by EBS in the near future, but Minister Abiamofo cautioned that no new capacity will come online immediately: procuring, transporting, installing and connecting new generation equipment to the grid takes time.
Abiamofo also highlighted a deeper, decades-long structural issue that created the current crisis: for years, successive governments have not allowed EBS and SWM to operate at market-aligned, cost-covering rates. This has left the state utilities with insufficient internal capital to fund large-scale infrastructure upgrades, forcing them to rely entirely on central government funding for major investments. “When investment capital is not made available, pressure on existing capacity, existing infrastructure and the existing grid only grows,” he warned. The current administration is now reviewing national subsidy policy for the sector, updating the national electricity sector plan, and revising supporting regulations to address the root of the problem.
For the immediate future, however, the government has very little room to maneuver, Abiamofo confirmed. Available generation capacity cannot be expanded overnight, and as long as peak demand exceeds the safe supply limit of the current grid, loadshedding will remain a necessary tool for EBS to manage the system.
