Govt bridging energy development divide – PM tells Karasabai residents

…delivers home solar system units to village

With the aim of bridging all developmental divides within the administrative regions of Guyana, Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips on Sunday delivered home solar system units to residents of Karasabai, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).
The home solar system units will equip each household with access to reliable electricity.

According to the Prime Minister, these units will assist in bridging the energy divide, in keeping with the Government’s manifesto promise, and complements a host of other projects in advancing the shift to sustainable, environmentally-friendly electricity sources.
“We are a Government that is committed to the development of all the people in Guyana, wherever you are located. This is the time for development. This is the time when you, as the people of Guyana, will benefit from all the revenues of this country,” PM Phillips told residents.
The initiative falls under the Solar Home Systems Project, which saw 30,000 units being acquired through a US$7.2 million line of credit agreement between the Governments of Guyana and India via the Indian Exim Bank. It will be distributed to hinterland households, as well as several Amerindian villages along the coast. The units include a 160-watt panel, charge controller, battery, and other basic fittings, which means that each household will be able to independently generate electricity.
This project works in tandem with the integration of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), in every community, to ensure that all Guyanese can enjoy connectivity.
On this note, the Prime Minister also urged young people in the village to seize the opportunities being made available to them, especially within the realm of education, pointing to the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarship programme.
“Guyana’s development is not only about roads and buildings alone. It is also about people’s development. And we are committed to this. So, all the opportunities for people development, we will make them available to you,” the Prime Minister stated.
Last month, it was announced that the first batch of 3780 home solar systems had arrived in Guyana. The distribution of the systems will begin in Regions One (Barima-Waini), Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Four (Demerara-Mahaica), and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).
Additional batches of systems to form the full complement of 30,000 systems are expected to arrive between now and November of this year.
The project was launched to bridge the energy gap between urban and rural areas of the country, while continuing the shift to sustainable, environmentally-friendly electricity sources.
It is expected to be completed by the end of this year.
From 2020 to 2023, solar PV systems were installed at several public buildings across the hinterland regions. These included health centres, community centres, food processing, and educational facilities.
In October 2020, Guyana’s first solar farm, which generates 0.4 megawatts (MW) at peak capacity was commissioned in Mabaruma, Region One, emphasising the commitment to the shift to renewable energy.
Following the operationalisation of that farm, a one-megawatt solar PV farm was also commissioned at Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) in 2022, and another, generating 1.5 MW at Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) in 2023.
This year, a 0.5 MW solar PV farm is eyed for completion at Wakenaam, Region Three, and a 0.65 MW solar farm has been eyed for completion in Mahdia, Region Eight.
These, along with the installation of solar PV systems in Government buildings over the years will take Guyana’s solar capacity from 5.35 MW in 2020, to an estimated 17.2 MW by the end of this year. (G8)