Guyana “huge part” of ensuring regional energy security – US Energy Secretary

– lauds country as “well-governed” during meeting with Pres Ali

Guyana is being recognised as a strong partner as the United States moves to ensure the energy security of the Western Hemisphere amidst global worries over the recent crisis in the Middle East.
US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright has emphasised his country’s strong support for Guyana’s energy sector and expressed interest in deeper collaboration to promote sustainable growth.
He made this commitment during a meeting with President Dr Irfaan Ali on Friday evening in Miami, Florida, ahead of the Shield of Americas Summit hosted by US President Donald Trump.
Secretary Wright stated that the Trump Administration’s goal is to grow the production of energy and other natural resources within the Western Hemisphere – something which he noted Guyana is a key player in.
“This is our backyard. We want strong partners, strong nations, and strong energy production. Guyana is a huge part of this strategy,” he stated in a video posted on President Ali’s Facebook page following the meeting.
The US official further added that Guyana is “…a very well-governed country with great energy resources that’s starting to produce them and grow larger and larger. That’s a win for Guyana. That’s a win for the United States. It’s a win for the Western Hemisphere.”
Similar sentiments were expressed by President Ali, who underscored that regional energy security is important for Guyana as well.
“Part of our objective is to expand our energy footprint to build sustainability in our energy portfolio, not only petroleum but gas,” the Guyanese leader noted in the video.
He further stated that with the US Secretary of Energy, they discussed how Guyana could be positioned to ensure energy security in both countries as well as the wider region. He also explored strategies to maximise the energy potential for the benefit of Guyana, the United States, and the hemisphere.

Energy infrastructure
According to the Guyanese Head of State, “…within this hemisphere itself, we can build out the infrastructure and the system through which we can be energy secure, and we can build out the opportunities that come with energy.”
“As you know, Guyana has tremendous opportunities ahead of us in which we could utilise energy to add value to our natural resources, whether it’s bauxite; building out our capacity and capability for fertiliser to support the rest of the region; data centres; and other investments in manufacturing, industrial development, LNG [Liquefied Natural Gas] plants; and be that first mover in terms of the infrastructure that will be able to accommodate gas from other partners within the region.”
Further, President Ali reiterated Guyana’s commitment to advancing a robust state-to-state partnership and emphasised the importance of private sector cooperation to further develop the country’s energy infrastructure.
“Of course, the US has a keen and strong interest in building out a state-to-state relationship and maximising US investment and investors into this ecosystem. So, those were some of the things we discussed. The Secretary is very keen on the development in Guyana and the opportunities there. So, I think it was a great meeting, and we were able to examine the future pillars on which our cooperation is based,” the Guyanese leader stated.
Guyana and the US have a strong bilateral relationship grounded in multiple areas of cooperation, including energy.
Gas-to-Energy Project
In fact, the US Export-Import (EXIM) Bank has approved a US$527 million loan for Guyana’s model and highly anticipated Gas-to-Energy (GtE) Project at Wales, West Bank Demerara, which is set to deliver clean and reliable power at a cheaper cost when it comes into operation by year-end.
This transformative US$759 million GtE Project includes the construction of an Integrated Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) plant and a 300-megawatt (MW) combined cycle power plant, utilising natural gas from the country’s offshore operations in the prolific Stabroek Block, where US oil major ExxonMobil and its co-venturers are conducting oil operations, producing some 900,000 barrels per day (bpd).
Already, some 250 kilometres of 12-inch pipelines have been laid to bring the gas onshore. This first phase, however, will only utilise 40 per cent of the pipeline’s capacity, bringing 50 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of dry gas onshore.
But with the pipelines having the capacity to push as much as 120 mmscfd of gas, the Government has moved ahead with Phase Two to utilise the remaining 60 per cent capacity of the pipeline, which will see an additional 75 million (mmcfd) of rich gas brought onshore to power a second 300 MW power plant and NGL facility right at the Wales, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) location.
Five companies have been prequalified for GtE Phase Two and are expected to submit their proposals sometime this month to the Government to design, finance, and operate the second phase.
The GtE Phases One and Two are expected to generate significant excess ‘lean gas’, which will be available for other industrial projects such as fertiliser production, a data centre, and a gas bottling plant.
In fact, only last month, ten international and regional companies, including a Guyanese business, submitted proposals to design, build, and operate a cooking gas bottling facility at Wales. The deadline for submissions of Requests for Proposals (RFPs) for the Guyana Ammonia and Urea Plant (GAUP) closed last Thursday.
Outside the Gas-to-Energy initiative, the Guyanese Government is also laying the foundation for a broader energy economy with a second massive gas project in Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).

Energy corridor
The United States energy firm Fulcrum LNG Inc. has been selected to develop a potential gas project in a tripartite arrangement with the Guyanese Government and ExxonMobil.
The Government has already touted large-scale industrial projects such as power plants, data centres, and an alumina plant, among other heavy industries, for the Berbice Gas Project – an initiative that will be separate from the Gas-to-Energy project at Wales.
With these resources, Guyana is keen on establishing a regional energy corridor.
In fact, President Ali declared at the Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo held just last month in Georgetown that his Government is eager to partner with Suriname on developing the neighbouring countries’ natural gas resources.
Like Guyana, Suriname is also on the verge of a major offshore oil and gas boom, with first production expected by 2028. According to President Ali, Guyana is looking for “like-minded partners”, as he directly appealed to Suriname to join Guyana in scaling up the Berbice gas project, which will not only benefit the two countries but the wider region.
President Ali revealed that discussions with Suriname are already underway, emphasising the need for decisions to be made in a timely manner in order to lock in investors.
Meanwhile, during the energy conference, the ministers responsible for the energy sectors in Guyana, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago have all called for strengthening cooperation among the three nations.
In addition, the President of the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), Daniel Best, during a presentation at the energy conference in Georgetown, recognised Guyana’s ability to lead the Caribbean’s energy transition in a climate-smart and future-ready manner.