–as gov’t continues efforts to bolster hinterland development
OVER 800 residents of the community of Mahdia, Region Eight, will see electricity generation and reliability improving significantly following the delivery of a new 800 kilovolt-ampere (kVA) generator to the Mahia Power & Light Company Inc. (MPL).
According to a post made by the Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo on his Facebook page, this is part of the government’s ongoing hinterland development programme.
“The generator, which arrived in the community last Sunday, is expected to significantly improve generation capacity and reliability for (825) residents and businesses in the mining town,” the post said.
The government has continued to make extensive efforts to improve electricity access in the country’s hinterland regions.
Dr. Jagdeo had said last year that the government was implementing a series of energy initiatives which are aimed at improving power distribution and boosting renewable energy in remote regions.
The government has made extensive efforts to improve electricity access in the country’s hinterland regions through initiatives like the Hinterland Electrification Company Inc. (HECI) and the expansion of solar energy. Key developments include the installation of solar farms in towns like Mabaruma and Mahdia, the commitment to 24-hour electricity for every village, along with other initiatives.
Recently, Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips had said some 37,000 household solar systems were distributed to hinterland and other off-grid communities, providing reliable electricity to thousands of families and marking a major expansion of Guyana’s renewable energy drive.
The Prime Minister explained that the household systems form part of a wider programme of renewable energy investments, which are expected to bring just under 50 megawatts of renewable energy on stream by the end of 2026.
The projects span the period 2020 to 2026 and include a mix of utility-scale solar farms and solar systems that have been installed at the household level.
“Well, based on the projects, just under 50 megawatts of renewable energy will be online, definitely by the end of 2026 …from 2020 to 2026, and I say 2026 because we have a major project in Linden, 50 megawatts that started, but hasn’t reached the point of commissioning yet,” the Prime Minister said adding: “And also, we had the community solar project where we went into the large and medium-sized Amerindian villages, and we started to install solar farms and mini grids to power the important buildings, you know, like the village office, the police station, the health centre or hospital, the school. And the intention is to continue that project as we satisfy all the Amerindian villages.”
He emphasised that the current household solar systems represent an improvement on those distributed under the 2009 Low-Carbon Development Strategy. Each system includes a 160-watt solar panel, a battery for energy storage, a fan, two charging ports and two LED lights, making it more inclusive and practical for daily use.
“We’ve also invested in household solar system, and to date, we have distributed 37,000-household solar systems, one to each household, mainly in the hinterland, riverine, in off-grid areas,” he said.
According to the Prime Minister, the systems have had a transformative impact on hinterland communities, allowing residents to extend productive hours into the evening.
PM Phillips also pointed to the link between renewable energy investments and improved connectivity, noting that some 253 Amerindian communities are now connected to the internet through the solar initiatives and the work of the National Data Management Authority.
