Guyana taking serious steps to promote energy conservation

THE Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) is spearheading several energy audits on government buildings to determine their levels of electricity consumption and tailor conservation practices that can be adopted.
Head of the GEA, Mahender Sharma told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that audits have been conducted on over 30 buildings and made reference to the Agency’s strategic plan that speaks specifically to such undertakings.

Guyana Energy Agency’s Chief Executive Officer Mahender Sharma speaking at the energy week observance
Guyana Energy Agency’s Chief Executive Officer Mahender Sharma speaking at the energy week observance

Meanwhile, the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) will be undertaking a similar programme with support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), targeting private businesses.
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds who spoke about this development at an energy forum organised by the GEA on Friday, highlighted the fact that the latter intervention is still in its fledgling stages.
Only recently a three-member technical team of specialists from The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) in Delhi, India came to Guyana to examine a best practices manual to promote energy management and conservation of rice mills, a technical study to improve sugar production energy efficiency, investments in Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), and demand management and gasifier technology application for sawmills.
In the process they worked along with agencies such as the Guyana Rice Development Board, GEA and the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and brainstormed collaboration with Government and non-government sectors.
After the three-month assessment, the experts presented some of their findings at Friday’s forum. Their work comes under Phase-II of technical support to the Guyana

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds assisting in the unveiling of the e-booklet cover during an energy forum
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds assisting in the unveiling of the e-booklet cover during an energy forum

Government in the areas of climate change and energy. Engagements between the Guyana Government and TERI commenced in 2011 following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at providing support to Guyana’s climate initiatives and the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).
The energy forum at the Guyana International Conference Centre (GICC) coincided with a series of activities organised by the GEA to observe energy week, and promote public awareness on sustainable energy.
As part of that activity, an energy booklet or e-book was launched and the winners of a schools’ nationwide essay writing competition on the topic “The Role Sustainable Energy Plays in the Progress of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy” were announced.
Ruth Manbodh and Jennifer Alley of Bishops High School copped the first and second prizes respectively while Macalia Griffith of Brickdam Secondary School came in third.
Mr. Hinds highlighted the need for citizens to make use of renewable energy and wiser use of energy. He also highlighted the prevailing circumstances with the country’s electricity sector that warranted cheap and reliable energy.

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds presenting the first place trophy to Ruth Manbodh who participated in the schools’ essay competition on “The Role Sustainable Energy Plays in the Progress of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy.”
Prime Minister Samuel Hinds presenting the first place trophy to Ruth Manbodh who participated in the schools’ essay competition on “The Role Sustainable Energy Plays in the Progress of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy.”

“Today we can see peak demands in our utility in the order of 140 megawatts and so it is closer to an economic development of our hydropower site,” Hinds said.
Hydropower has been in the making since in the 1970s when plans were in train to construct a hydro plant in the Upper Mazaruni Region Seven area.
The Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP) is closest the country ever came but with the political opposition withholding support to two critical pieces of legislation, construction was stalled.
Amidst the disappointment, the Guyana Government remains hopeful that the project will be completed.
The GEA has been focusing on the potential to develop several renewable energy initiatives. Among them are, solar and wind power, bio-ethanol plant, bio gas and solar water heaters to name a few. (GINA)

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