Guyanese companies ink MoU with Indian firm for biomass power generation project

Two Guyanese companies – Durable Wood Products (DWP) Inc and EMC Energy Inc – have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) based in India for the establishment of a 1.5-megawatt (MW) wood waste-based power generation system.
The signing was done in Delhi, India on Thursday in the presence of President Dr Irfaan Ali, who is leading a trade delegation of Cabinet Ministers and representatives of the local Private Sector to the Asian nation.
According to a missive, this collaboration will pave the way for the implementation of 1.5MW wood waste-based power generation system through the gasification route for energy consumption in DWP’s production operations and the excess power will go towards Guyana’s national grid.

This is in direct support of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government’s Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 (LCDS 2030) through which efforts are being undertaken to diversify Guyana’s energy sources and transition into cheaper and cleaner energy.
In fact, TERI, through previous MoUs inked with both the Guyana Government and Private Sector firms, has been working to reduce energy costs and implement innovative, efficient emission-reduction practices.
TERI supported the first gasifier power project on the Essequibo Coast in 2014. Rice husk was used as fuel, and the gases emitted from the gasifier were cleaned of solid particles, tar/carbon and water/moisture, and directed into the combustion chambers of a 250-kW power generating set thus replacing 70 per cent of the diesel required to run the generating set.
As an international institute based in India and working globally, TERI has spent the last 45 years working on energy, environment, and sustainable development issues. For over 10 years, several entities in the private and public sectors in Guyana have been reducing their energy consumption significantly with help from TERI.
DWP Chairman Rafeek Khan said: “We welcome this opportunity to partner with EMC Energy and TERI to apply alternative energy in the wood sector, and technologies that can help us to utilise excess biomass while reducing the cost of energy down and improve competitiveness.”
Meanwhile, EMC Energy Inc Managing Director Shyam Nokta added, “This initiative, a partnership between two local companies and TERI, an international leader in the area of energy and resource management, offers another opportunity to utilise cutting-edge technologies and expertise in a way that would realise economic and environmental benefits, while at the same time supporting the objectives of Guyana’s LCDS 2030.”
Director General of TERI India, Dr Vibha Dhawan, after the signing, related that his company remained committed to supporting the Government and people of Guyana in their transition to clean and renewable energy.
“We commend this initiative and will continue to provide support for efficient resources management and technology deployment in the areas such as energy, agriculture, water resources management, and infrastructure development. TERI is keen to also support education and capacity development in the fields of climate change and sustainability,” Dr Dhawan stated.
Also witnessing the signing ceremony alongside President Ali were the Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr KJ Srinivasa; GO-Invest Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Peter Ramsaroop; Private Sector Commission (PSC)Chairman Paul Cheong and other Private Sector representatives from Guyana.
In addition to the rice husk gasifier mill in Essequibo, another fascinating technology introduced by TERI locally is small solar-powered stoves that have the capacity to store energy for minute usage, like charging phones or illuminating a tiny kilowatt light bulb. These energy-efficient stoves were designed to consume less fuel (wood), and aid in reducing indoor and outdoor pollution.
More than 100 of these inventions were distributed in hinterland communities across the country through the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) back in 2017.
At the time, TERI had also provided training to GEA engineers in conducting assessments of energy management and being able to identify opportunities to improve energy efficiency. It had also worked with GuySuCo to assess the operations of sugar factories and identify measures that would improve energy efficiency.
The India-based company also worked with the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) in providing support for a transmission and distribution loss reduction study with a focus on GPL’s large consumers.
TERI had also engaged several local manufacturing entities, including the Beharry Group and Sterling Products Limited, and has provided technical support on energy assessment and management measures.
More recently, however, the Guyana Government re-engaged TERI in 2021 to provide technical support in several sectors that will drive its achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals 2030.
“These opportunities need to be upscaled if we are to respond with the urgency and boldness required to address climate change, sustained livelihoods, and protect the environment,” President Ali had told the World Sustainable Development Summit in February 2021 – an annual flagship event of TERI.