Govt pushes for timely completion of Gas-to-Energy Project

– as 1st gas turbine installed
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has stated that heavy emphasis is being placed on completing the highly-anticipated Gas-to-Energy (GtE) Project that will deliver cheaper and more reliable electricity to citizens.
Located at Wales, West Bank Demerara, the project consists of a 300-megawatt (MW) combined cycle power plant and a natural gas liquids (NGL) facility that will utilise the rich natural gas that will be piped from the Liza Field in the Stabroek Block, offshore Guyana.

When completed, the US$759 million project will see the cost of electricity slashed by half and ensure a reliable power supply. The Guyana Government had 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.
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.
At the time of the contract award, however, Lindsayca was in a consortium with another US-based company, CH4. The two companies have since split due to internal disputes resulting in Lindsayca Guyana taking full control of the project.
But according to VP Jagdeo, the Government has had “good engagements” with the company following the change of ownership on fasttracking the works in order to have the project completed in the new year.
“Since then, we have had an acceleration of work on the ground. They’re now installing a lot of the turbines, the simple cycle [and gas] turbines, there. And they’ve started the foundation for the other plants that have to be there. So, we are focused heavily on getting that done,” the Vice President stated during his press conference on Thursday last.

Gas turbines
Back in October, President Dr Irfaan Ali had conducted a site visit to witness the final cement pour for the foundation base of the last of four gas turbines – a milestone event that was 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… 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 during the visit two months ago.
Since then, at least one of the gas turbines was transported to the site and has been installed.
“Gas Turbine #1 now stands on its foundation at the #GastoEnergy project site. The first GT-800 is in place, and the team is ready for the next ones,” Lindsayca said in a Facebook post on December 14.
According to the company, the Gas Turbine #1, weighing 90 tonnes, was successfully transported to the project site after months of preparation and close coordination with local authorities.
“The team safely transported this major unit across the new [Bharrat Jagdeo] Demerara River Bridge and executed a seamless RoRo operation at Tristar Port to move it to the Gas to Energy Project. A carefully planned effort showcasing teamwork, precision, and progress,” Lindsayca noted in a previous social media post earlier this month.
The remaining three gas turbines are expected to be installed early in the new year as preparation continues on the foundation bases.

Phase Two
Meanwhile, 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 excess rich gas from offshore.
The government had issued a request for proposals (RFP) to qualified firms to design, finance, and operate Phase Two of the project, under a 20- to 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).
According to VP Jagdeo, the response has been good and those proposals are currently under examination.
“We had lots of proposals through a public process already… I think those are being examined now carefully. We’re not rushing to make anything premature… We will be deliberate about how we assess. We have not completed the assessment of what we want to go for in the second power plant.”
“We are more interested in buying power, but the power has to approximate the cost that we want so that it would allow us to continue selling at $0.11 per kilowatt/hour. So, that’s where we are. These are the variables. But the decision should be made soon,” Jagdeo noted last week.
Phase Two of the GtE Project will play a major role in 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 had stated back in October.