Kato lights up as hydropower plant at full capacity

The 150-kilowatt (KW) hydropower plant at Kato, Region Eight, (Potaro–Siparuni) is operating at full capacity and several community buildings are being powered. Kato Secondary School and its dormitory, teachers’ quarters, as well as the Kato Cottage Hospital and police station, are all receiving optimal electricity from the renewable energy plant. The hydropower plant was commissioned November last by Prime Minister (PM) (Ret’d) Brigadier Mark Phillips, where it was expected to benefit over 30 buildings while providing 17 residents of the community with permanent employment. At the time the PM had noted that beyond its economic benefits, 34 community buildings will be supplied by the hydropower system. They include community buildings such as schools, health facilities and commercial spaces, enabling income-generating activities like sewing, agro-processing and digital services. The over US$2 million project was funded through the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) under the Sustainable Energy Programme for Guyana. The project has made Kato one of the first 100 per cent renewable energy-powered Indigenous communities in Guyana, powering Government buildings, schools and households. The completed hydropower project aligns with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government’s goal to promote an energy mix that prioritises renewable energy, the Ministry of Public Utilities noted.