-PM says

OUTLINING short-term plans to deal with the increasing energy demand, Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips has noted that the gas-to-energy (GtE) project is a critical one for advancing the government’s development agenda and bringing ease to citizens.

PM Phillips made these remarks as he was speaking at an AmCham Energy Mixer recently, where he noted that the government is committed to utilising available resources to improve the quality of life for all Guyanese.

During his address, he highlighted that there has been a growing demand for energy in Guyana as the country’s growth continues in every sector.

He added that only recently, officials reported that peak demand has grown from somewhere around 188 megawatts to approximately 205 megawatts.

“So, the incremental growth in demand is challenging and we have to keep abreast of that growth or keep a little ahead of it,” he said.

Against this backdrop, he said that just a few months ago there was the implementation of some 36 MW that added some relief.

In the short term, until the project comes on stream in late 2025, PM Phillips told the mixer that the government is now engaging other suppliers and contractors to bring on stream another 60 MW of power before the end of the year.

“We have to do this in the short term as we await anxiously the commissioning of the gas-to-energy project that will bring the 300 megawatts which will put all of us in a good position,” the Prime Minister said.

Further, he said that any government would have to continue to adhere to some level of strategic thinking and planning for the future. As such, he highlighted that as phase one of the GtE project is completed, the focus must be turned to its second phase.
Further, Prime Minister Phillips indicated that the GtE project will not only benefit Guyana, but will also position the country as an energy hub for the Caribbean.

He said: “It’s not about Guyana alone, it’s not a good for Guyana, it’s more of a regional good because the NGL or the liquified cooking gas as we call it here, the amount that we are going to produce is going to outstrip the demand in Guyana and we have to think about marketing it and selling it overseas.”

Just last week, the government invited qualified firms to respond to a Request for Proposals (RFP) for phase two of the gas-to-energy project.

That RFP invited these firms to design, finance and operate the second phase of the project on the basis of a 20-to-25-year power purchase agreement.

Phase One amounts to some 50 million standard cubic feet per day (MMCFD), which is 40 per cent of the pipeline’s capacity, while Phase Two is projected at 75 MMCFD, being 60 per cent of the pipeline’s capacity.