Gas-to-Energy Project: Four gas turbines to be laid by December as final foundation gets underway

– labour force to more than double with 24/7 schedule

Works have intensified at the Guyana Government’s model Gas-to-Energy (GtE) Project site, as the contractor moves to have all four gas turbines installed on-site by December.

This was revealed during a site visit on Friday evening by President Dr Irfaan Ali to the project site at Wales, West Bank Demerara, where a 300-megawatt (MW) combined cycle power plant and a natural gas liquids (NGL) facility are being built to utilise the rich natural gas that will be piped from the Liza Field in the Stabroek Block, offshore Guyana.

During his visit, the Head of State witnessed the final cement pour for the foundation base of the last of four turbines completed – a milestone event that is being considered a major step forward in Guyana’s most transformative energy initiative to date.
“The work is progressing from the power plant to the substation in the north and then around to the NGL plant. With the foundations being poured, the four gas turbines should be laid in the foundations by December, and a lot of the heavy equipment brought in and placed in foundations. Most of the equipment for the project is already manufactured, and a lot of it is in the country…[more] is being shipped right now. And so, by early January, the majority of equipment for the project will be here,” Project Coordinator Winston Brassington indicated to the President.

According to Brassington, the outstanding civil works are being completed while the detailed work is also continuing. With the aim of reaching the extended project deadline of mid-2026, the contractor, United States (US)-based Lindsayca, has already moved into round-the-clock operations.
In fact, President Ali revealed that a man camp is being constructed on-site so that the work will be accelerated with the doubling up of engineers and the labour force in the coming weeks.
“The contractor, the consultant and the project team – one of the things that they’re committing to is working 24-7, increasing not only the man hours but the manpower itself. The engineering and labour force here will more than double in the coming weeks so that we can get back on a timeline as quickly as possible,” the Guyanese leader noted.

When completed, the US$759 million project, being constructed by Lindsayca Guyana, will see the cost of electricity slashed by half and ensure a reliable power supply.
Guyana has already secured a US$527 million loan from the US Export-Import (EXIM) Bank to partially finance the project and has also set aside some G$51 billion in the 2025 Budget to advance works on the project.
Currently, there are about 400 persons working on-site, and according to an official from Lindsayca, “Our target is to finish this project next year.”
Moreover, it was noted that the completion of the new Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge has led to increased productivity since trucks transporting materials no longer have to wait until night to cross and can also carry full weight.

The project requires some 9,303 piles to be driven across the entire site and some 25,000 cubic metres of concrete to be poured. The piles for the turbine and power plant areas have already been placed. Additionally, there are some concrete piles – most of which have been placed.
According to the engineering consultant for the project, Engineers India Limited (EIL), “Out of 665, we have completed [625]; only 40 are left, which are going to be completed [this] coming Wednesday. So, all the piling work will be completed. And we have already started excavation in the substation. And we started placing the lean concrete as well as the rebars. And by next week, we are going for the concrete pouring for the substations as well.”
The consultant added that they are planning for the rebar placement, as well as to fill concrete in the tensile piles, which should be done next week. When these are completed, the consultant noted that the work will be “quite faster” to meet next year’s deadline.
The power plant and NGL facility are just Phase One of the GtE Project. The second phase will see another 300 MW power plant and NGL facility constructed at the same Wales site, utilising the rich gas from offshore.
Meanwhile, the highly anticipated Gas-to-Energy Project is just one component of the Guyana Government’s industrialisation vision for the country. It will be used to power the Wales Development Zone (WDZ) – an industrial and manufacturing hub that will be built on approximately 1400 acres of land where plans are afoot to construct a fertiliser plant, data centres, agro-processing industries, and light manufacturing facilities.
“This project is not only about reliable and cheaper energy… It’s about unlocking new opportunities for industrialisation, agro-processing, and manufacturing, making Guyana’s economy more competitive and resilient,” President Ali posited.
The Head of State went on to commend the Guyanese engineers working on the project alongside the foreign experts. He said the capacity building and technology transfer will augur well for the locals in the future.
“They are getting top-class exposure and experience. I am very proud of them. And they are the ones who will have to take this forward and ensure that it is running efficiently… I have heard from the contractor and the engineer [about] the tremendous ability of our local guys and the pace at which they are learning,” the President stated.
One such local working on the GtE project is Clifton Joseph, a Health Safety and Environment (HSE) Superintendent, who came in for high praise from the contractor.
“It is going to be awesome. When you get to see how these works are progressing – the substation, the power plant, the heat recovery. It is amazing what this project will do for the energy sector here in Guyana,” Joseph noted.