Govt expects 50MW of power to come from renewable sources by end of 2026

The Guyana Government is pursuing an aggressive renewable energy agenda, and according to Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, almost 50 megawatts (MW) of power will come from solar farms and mini hydropower grids alone by the end of this year.
“Well based on the projects [implemented since 2020]…just under 50 megawatts of renewable energy will be online definitely by the end of 2026,” the Prime Minister disclosed during a recent appearance on the Starting Point podcast.
More than half of this power is coming from the Guyana Utility Scale Solar PV Programme (GUYSOL).
Under this US$83.3 million initiative, funded by the Guyana/Norway partnership, eight solar farms are being constructed across Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) at Onderneeming and Charity; Five (Mahaica-Berbice) at Trafalgar; Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) at Hampshire and Prospect; and 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice) Block 37, Retrieve and Dakoura, adding approximately 33MW of power.
Five of these solar farms have already been completed and commissioned into operation in less than three months, with the final three projects in Region 10 currently under construction and slated for completion by the end of this year.
In fact, with the three megawatt farm at Dakoura, four megawatts at Block 37 and eight megawatts at Retrieve, Linden will have the largest solar farm project in the country.
“So, by the time we reach a point of commission, it will be just about 50 megawatts [of renewable energy] and that will include the 33 megawatts of power from solar farms in Regions Six, Five, Two and 10,” the Prime Minister, whose office is responsible for the country’s energy sector, stated.
The remaining 17MW of power from the 50MW will come from other renewable projects especially in the hinterland regions, including mini hydropower plants at Moco-Moco and Kumu in Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), and at Kato, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) as well as other solar farm projects at Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), Mahdia, Region Eight, and Wakenaam and Leguan in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).
These are also complimented by over 36,000 solar home systems distributed in hinterland and riverine communities countrywide.
According to PM Phillips, these solar home systems have had a positive impact on the lives of persons living in the hinterland and riverine areas.
“It has transformed people’s lives. It means that more hours of darkness can now be used for productive activities. We have reports of the children [being able to now] study more hours in the night for the exams. People can connect to the internet by the powering of their devices. People who have small businesses, like people who do a lot of sewing or agro-processing at the cottage level, they can now do additional work. So, it’s a really transforming lives,” he stated.
Another positive impact, the prime minister highlighted is, the 30 per cent reduction of electricity costs for communities in the townships of Port Kaituma, Regions One (Barima-Waini), and Mahdia.
Similarly, he added that communities in Lethem and on the Essequibo Coast, where solar farms have been installed, would also benefit from a reduction in electricity costs.
PM Phillips explained that this will match government’s promised 50 per cent reduction on the coastland when the highly-anticipated Gas-to-Energy Project comes onstream line later this year, adding some 300MW of renewable power to the national grid using natural gas from offshore oil operations.
Another major project in the People’s Progressive Party/Civic’s energy mix plan is the 165MW Amaila Falls Hydropower Project. Currently, there is a revised Request for Proposal out for the revival of this project under a Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model. Interested persons or company have until February 17 to submit proposals for this project.