–following signing of US$38M in contracts
By Feona Morrison
IN a significant stride towards renewable-energy adoption, the Government of Guyana has sealed contracts worth US$38 million aimed at acquiring 18 megawatts peak (MWp) of solar-power capability.
The contracts were signed on Tuesday at the Prime Minister’s Office, Camp Street, Georgetown. The programme falls under the Guyana Utility-Scale Photovoltaic Programme (GUYSOL), which is being implemented by the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) to diversify its energy source with solar farms.
The newly signed contracts are set to bolster sustainable energy infrastructure in Regions Two, Five, and Six, marking a pivotal step in the nation’s commitment to greener and more efficient energy solutions.
The project, which has a life span of 18 months, is being executed by a joint venture of SUMEC Complete Equipment and Engineering Company Limited and XJ Group Corporation (contractor). It is being funded by the Guyana/Norway partnership with an estimated investment of US$83.3M. GUYSOL is being administered by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
In explaining the scope of the project, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh, said that eight megawatts peak of power will be allocated to Onderneeming and Charity in Region Two, and 10 megawatts peak to Trafalgar and Prospect in Region Five, and Hampshire in Region Six.
It will see the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) farms and battery storage systems in these areas. Additionally, the procurement of an extra 15 megawatts peak is scheduled for later this year for Linden in Region 10.
“Those are significant additions to electricity-generating capability and they represent a significant step forward in our transition to renewable sources of energy. They represent the single largest installation of solar capability in our country’s history thus far and the single largest investment in energy to date,” Dr Singh said.
According to him, GUYSOL is being financed by the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund, which was founded under the former People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) government led by Dr Bharrat Jagdeo.
He said that the fund was designed to receive earnings from Guyana’s climate service sales and invest them in the country’s low-carbon transition.
When the PPP exited office in 2015, he said the fund had about US$80 million which was earned under the country’s original Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).
However, he noted that Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund was derailed by the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) government, and prevailing political circumstances at that time.
He said the money was earned before the PPP/C left office and “sat at the IDB for five years.” Had the project not been derailed, the Finance Minister pointed out that the money in the fund would have been invested in the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project.
“We had a reputable international investor in the person of the Blackstone Group, a well-known globally respected institution of investors. We would have today been receiving in excess of 150 megawatts of power from Amaila and supply it to the national grid,” Dr Singh said.
But because the LCDS was an initiative of the PPP government, he said the resources in the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund “were parked and abandoned and left unutilised for five years from 2015 to 2020 [by the APNU+AFC].”
As a result of this, he added: “The people of Guyana were denied additional investments, whether in low-carbon electricity or any other investment in the low-carbon trajectory for the five years that we [PPP] were out of government.”
After returning to office, the PPP/C admnistration immediately unlocked the resources in the fund and directed that they be used and invested in projects such as GUYSOL, according to Dr Singh.
Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips assured citizens that the government will ensure that money from the fund is used to improve the lives of citizens.
AN EXAMPLE
“This is an example of [our] energy transition, where we are moving towards greater use of renewable energy, while at the same time dealing with the issues of the vulnerable in our society as it relates to climate change. If you notice, where the projects are located… these are areas that need energy more than us in Georgetown,” said Phillips.
The Prime Minister said that he is pleased that the initiative includes training for youth and women to manage the solar-power system. The officials urged the contractors to provide a quality product to the people of Guyana.
GUYSOL will also execute social and development initiatives, including the training of 50 women in solar PV, including solar job and workforce development with a paid eight-month apprenticeship opportunity.
It will also implement two energy-apprenticeship programmes to provide hands-on experience to 20 Guyanese men and women, including those with disabilities.
The specific objectives of the programme, as outlined by the IDB, are to: (i) avoid CO2 emissions with the development of solar PV generation plants; (ii) lower the cost of electricity generation while supporting the country´s transition towards renewable energy-based generation; and (iii) improve the operation and management of the isolated systems of Essequibo and Linden and develop local skills for services related to solar PV generation systems.
Also present at Tuesday’s signing ceremony were Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar; Chairman of the GPL Board of Directors, Maurice Gajadhar; China’s Ambassador to Guyana, Guo Haiyan; Ivan Gaviria, Chief of Operations, IDB Country Office (Guyana); GPL’s Programme Coordinator Amir Dillawar and representatives from the contracting firms.
