THE Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation, on Friday, commissioned two new pilot vessels, which represent a new standard in maritime safety and service in Guyana.

The two new pilot boats, named Haiakwa and Haiama, which are indigenous names for two tributaries in the Demerara River, were commissioned at the Transport and Harbours Goods Wharf.

Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar, during his address at the commissioning ceremony, said the country’s maritime sector is growing, and the addition of the new pilot boats strengthens the country’s capacity to meet the demands of the oil and gas industry.

Against this backdrop, he urged the captains, engineers and crew of the pilot boats to care the vessels and ensure it is maintained.

He went on to add that these new vessels bring the Maritime Administration’s Department (MARAD) fleet to five, and are crucial to pushing the country to become a regional transshipment hub.

“You will have more traffic because the country is growing and will continue to grow as the maritime sector is where the oil and gas operations take off…. You have PSV’s you have FSVs, you have the construction of vessels. We have everything up and down the river,” he said.

While noting that the vessels cost in excess of US$5 million, he said they took quite some time to build and subsequently arrive in Guyana.

The vessels will serve as a guide for larger vessels entering the Demerara River, bringing them in and subsequently taking them back out.

With continued growth in the sector, he said that it is the government’s mandate for Guyana to become a hub and as such, the rivers must be used in the best way possible.

“The maritime sector in Guyana is developing, it is the government’s mandate, it is the president’s vision that Guyana becomes a hub so we have to use the rivers in the best way we can… so that we can be a transshipment point and we can make sure that some of the services that are needed in French Guiana, Suriname and the rest, that they can emanate from Guyana,” he added.

Director General at MARAD, Stephen Thomas, said the contract for the construction and delivery of the Eco 50 pilot boats for MARAD was entered into on June 21, 2024, for the sum of US$5 million.

As the vessels are “sisters” to a previous one, which was commissioned some time ago, modifications were done based on experience and performance, and these vessels are fitter for local conditions with improved operational capabilities and ergonomic design.

Carried out by the French company, OCEA, Thomas said that representatives from the company came to Guyana and trained personnel in the operation and maintenance of these vessels.

He said: “These vessels have a maximum speed of approximately 26 knots but generally cruise at 20 knots… at this speed they can take a pilot out to sea and to the now extended channel and now return to port in under one hour.”

The Director General added that they are more than just an upgrade in speed and efficiency, but represent a new standard in maritime safety and service.

The commissioning ceremony was also attended by Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill; Ambassador of France to Guyana, Oliver Placon, and several French Senators, along with officials of OCEA and other local maritime stakeholders.