-bids currently under evaluation as Guyana seeks to diversify national energy mix

THE Amaila Falls Hydropower Project has moved into a critical stage, with government now evaluating bids submitted under a design, build, finance and operate model tied to a long‑term power purchase agreement, President Dr Irfaan Ali has disclosed.

Speaking during a recent discussion on Guyana–Qatar economic co-operation, President Ali said his administration remains committed to integrating Amaila Falls into a diversified national energy mix, even as it pursues major gas‑to‑energy and other renewable initiatives.

According to the Head of State, government expects to determine “in the coming weeks” which proposal offers the best overall package for Guyana, balancing cost, risk, and long‑term development priorities.

“We are hoping that… we will be in a position to say what structure or what bid is the best in the interests of Guyana’s development and our people’s development,” he affirmed.

Amaila Falls is being advanced as a cornerstone of Guyana’s strategy to diversify its energy mix and reduce dependence on expensive, imported fossil fuels. While the current administration is also banking heavily on natural gas to drive industrialisation and power new industries, Dr Ali stressed that renewables such as hydropower remain a central plank of the low‑carbon transition.

He said discussions with Qatar extend beyond gas and downstream industries to technical co-operation on energy planning and diversification. In that context, he said Amaila Falls is seen not in isolation but as part of a broader portfolio of projects aimed at securing reliable, affordable and cleaner power for households and businesses.

Earlier this year the government sent out for proposal, submissions from prospective firms or consortia under a revised Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model.

The project is designed to deliver a minimum of 165 megawatts (mw) of renewable energy to the national grid. It forms part of a broader energy mix strategy pursued by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration.

The Amaila Falls project was first proposed more than a decade ago, under a previous PPP/C government, but faced delays due to the lack of support in the National Assembly in 2013.

When completed, the facility is expected to deliver reliable, large-scale renewable energy to the national grid and support Guyana’s low-carbon development goals as set out in the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030.