—President Ali promises to leverage energy surplus for job creation, bolstering Guyana’s national richness, creating higher-value goods and services

CENTRAL to President, Dr Irfaan Ali’s vision for national transformation is positioning Guyana as an energy hub for the region and he has already laid out a comprehensive plan, which is aimed at improving lives and building on the country’s economic prosperity.

The President emphasised this during his feature address on the eve of the country’s 59th independence anniversary.

Dr Ali stated: “We are building an energy infrastructure and transforming our energy landscape to ensure energy security for the long term, to improve our competitiveness and to build prosperity in every home and in the lives of every citizen. We are advancing our agenda for cleaner and more renewable sources of power.”

Notably, to accelerate Guyana’s transition and solidify its role as a global leader in sustainable energy production, the government, in February, had outlined ambitious plans to invest $791.4 million in renewable energy projects over the next three years.

It was said that the investment will focus on a variety of large-scale renewable energy projects, including the installation of 21 solar mini-grids that will benefit over 240 public and community buildings across Regions One (Barima-Waini), Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice).

The projects will ensure that key infrastructures such as health centres, schools, and ICT hubs in remote communities receive reliable renewable power. President Ali also promised the people of Guyana that the government will continue to work to better their lives, in this case, he was referring to his administration working towards reducing the cost of electricity.

As Guyana stands on the brink of a transformative energy transition, the gas-to-energy project not only promises to enhance energy security, but also to catalyse economic growth and environmental sustainability.

Heavy fuel oil has long been the fuel of choice for Guyana’s electricity generation, a practice that is expensive and unsustainable in its ecological impact. The gas-to-energy project is an important step towards healthier, more stable sources of energy by using natural gas.

Dr Ali emphasised that  development of the nation’s energy sector would not only benefit households and communities, but also position the country as a key player in the regional arena.

He said: “We are going to continue to work to reduce the cost of electricity, so that Guyanese households and businesses can enjoy the fact that we are an energy-rich and secure country. We’re going to leverage our energy surplus to create jobs, add value to our national richness and create higher-value goods and services. These are the aspects of our energy transformation that we are going to continue to invest in, so that we can position Guyana as the energy hub of the Region.”

The development of the energy sector cannot be done in isolation, as the President said that it must be followed by investments in climate change.

He told the nation: “We are investing in the future to ensure climate considerations are a priority. Building our climate-adaptation infrastructure for greater resilience, expanding our sea and river defence system—to protect our coastal land, to protect our farmers, to protect our businesses.”

The Head of State underscored that the government plans to strengthen drainage and irrigation systems and open new agricultural lands to boost productivity.

Another pillar of the President’s sustainable development plan is economic diversification, noting that it is pivotal in bolstering the country’s competitiveness.

“We can build our global competitiveness not only in the energy- the oil and gas- sector, but in every sector of our economy,” President Ali said.

Further, looking ahead, the President pointed to a bright future, as the nation’s infrastructures are transformed, with the aim to connect Guyana with its neighbours, to promote trade, remove barriers and build the market.

“The coming years will be marked by even harder work as we continue building the blocks of transformation,” he said.