–Minister Bharrat urges investors as Massy Gas Products commissions US$12M Air Separation Unit

MASSY Gas Products (Guyana) Limited has commissioned a more than US$12 million Air Separation Unit (ASU) at its facility in Old Road, Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD), marking a momentous milestone in Guyana’s industrial landscape.
The state-of-the-art unit, the first-of-its-kind in Guyana, is designed to enhance the supply of high-purity liquid oxygen and nitrogen, and is expected to meet local demand and boost the country’s burgeoning industrial sector. It has the capacity to produce 13 tonnes of product per day.

The commissioning ceremony, held on Thursday, saw the attendance of key stakeholders, including Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, who took the opportunity to advocate for increased investments in Guyana.

Minister Bharrat emphasised that the time is ripe for investors to tap into Guyana’s rapidly expanding economy, pointing to the government’s commitment to creating a conducive environment for business growth.
“Now is the time to invest in Guyana,” Minister Bharrat declared passionately during his address.

He said that Guyana’s rapid economic growth, driven by its oil and gas sector, has transformed the country into the fastest-growing economy globally.
According to him, international recognition of Guyana has surged, with media and conference attendees now well-informed about the Caribbean country’s progress.

“We must acknowledge the fact that it is because of the oil and gas sector that we have seen significant growth and jump start in new sectors within our economy. It is because of the oil and gas sector that today we can expand our agriculture sector, that we can expand our tourism sector, that we can now speak of becoming a manufacturing nation where we can add value to our products and to some exported primary products…,” he said.

Minister Bharrat also introduced the gas-to-energy project as a transformational initiative that will significantly reduce electricity costs by 50 per cent. He added that the project will provide reliable energy, addressing past issues of blackouts and unreliable power supply.
The minister said that the project will benefit all Guyanese, and is seen as a major step towards transforming Guyana’s energy landscape and improving economic conditions, despite political opposition.
Minister Bharrat highlighted the government’s ongoing efforts to enhance the business climate through regulatory reforms, infrastructural development, and initiatives aimed at strengthening investor confidence.
He commended the Massy Group of Companies for their long-term commitment to Guyana which spans five decades.

Massy Gas Products (Guyana) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Augustus Harris, expressed his enthusiasm for the company’s continued investment in Guyana.
He shared that the company has been manufacturing oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide (CO2) since the 1970s, and later added liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
During the COVID-19 pandemic, he said the company met the surging oxygen demand, providing hospitals with essential gas.

“At the height of the COVID pandemic in 2021, oxygen demand nearly doubled the usual consumption. Massy Gas responded, providing all the hospitals, including COVID Hospital, with the oxygen needed to stabilise and save the lives of countless patients,” Harris said.
The company constructed the ASU in July 2021, and it had its first productive run in May 2023.

This ASU was manufactured in India by Cosmodyne, a subsidiary of Nikkiso, a Japanese company.

The CEO explained: “Our ASU produces oxygen at a purity of 99.99% and nitrogen at a purity of 0.1554 million of oxygen. This level of purity exceeds the requirements for oxygen gas in all medical and industrial application. The nitrogen gas purity satisfies requirements for our local beverage companies and other users in the industry.”

“This project was contemplated with the future of a growing and dynamic economy in mind. With the continued growth and expansion in all sectors, particularly the oil and gas and manufacturing sectors, we have selected this 13-tonne per day plant. We are confident that, considering the trajectory of this economy, our plant will be able to satisfy the demand for oxygen and nitrogen.

“We no longer need to import oxygen or high-purity nitrogen. It is important to note that we have the capacity to satisfy the demand of nitrogen associated with turnarounds, startups, shutdowns in the oil and gas sector, inclusive of the commissioning of the gas-to-shore pipeline,” Harris said.
The CEO assured Guyanese that the company will continue to contribute to Guyana’s economy. He also thanked the government for supporting the company’s investment in the facility. Massy Gas Products has plans to invest in a CO2 filling plant and production plant by 2024.
The award-winning company is a leading distributor of industrial, medical and liquefied petroleum gases in Guyana.