–says Guyana could close year with roughly 50MW of ‘new gov’t-installed renewable energy capacity’
CHIEF Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), Dr Mahender Sharma, has underscored significant progress made in strengthening Guyana’s energy security, pointing to a diversified approach that combines natural gas, hydropower and solar energy.
Dr Sharma was at the time speaking on the Starting Point podcast, during which he said that the push for a more reliable energy system has been a key priority of the government over the past several years.
“His Excellency, very early on in his term, articulated the need for greater reliability in our energy resources, ensuring our energy security,” he said.
A major part of this transformation, he noted, is the highly anticipated Gas-to-Energy project, which is expected to reduce the country’s dependence on heavy fuel oil.
“Of course, the Gas-to-Energy is at the top of that list because it represents a significant shift from our dependence on heavy fuel oil towards cleaner forms of energy, like natural gas,” Dr Sharma said.
However, he highlighted that Guyana’s strategy goes beyond natural gas, incorporating a mix of renewable energy sources.
Among these are hydropower initiatives, which include the opening of requests for proposals for the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, as well as the expansion of utility-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) systems.
“It is not just natural gas. It is a combination of gas [and] hydro… and we are investing in a number of utility-scale solar PV farms,” he said.
According to the GEA Head, these efforts have already begun to yield tangible results, with a substantial increase in renewable energy capacity expected by the end of 2026.
“With all that has happened over the last five to six years, by the end of this year, we’ll have probably about 50 megawatts of new renewable energy installed capacity that the government has invested in alone,” he stated.
This capacity will be derived from a mix of mini hydropower projects, solar farms, solar mini-grids, off-grid systems, and rooftop installations.
Dr Sharma also pointed to growing private sector involvement, referring to the recent major investment at Aurora Gold Mines.
“You recently saw the commissioning of a major private sector investment… more than 49 megawatts. So that, in effect, is the scale of operation,” he said.
Putting the figures into context, the GEA Head highlighted that the combined additions represent a significant share of the country’s energy demand.
“Our peak demand is just about 205 megawatts now… [so] it represents close to 20 to 25 per cent of that peak demand,” he noted.
Further, these advancements, he said, can be linked to Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030, which aims to harness the country’s natural resources sustainably.
He went on to add that efforts are also underway to encourage household participation in the transition to renewable energy, particularly through rooftop solar installations
