Modular power solutions proposed to meet Guyana’s surging electricity demand

A technical panel featuring experts from Helm Group highlighted modular power solutions and diversified energy sources as key strategies for meeting rapidly expanding electricity demand in Guyana without overbuilding generation capacity.
The panel in the discussion consisted of German Consuegra, President and General Manager of Machinery Corporation of Guyana Ltd (MACORP) and Industrial Supply Of Guyana Inc (ISG); Jairo Gonsaleez, Chief Commercial Officer of SOENERGY International; Johnathan Franco, Energy Commercial Manager of GECOLSA; Rafael Patino, Commercial Vice President of HMV; and Andras Mesics, Chief Executive Officer and President of SOENERGY International.
During the discussion, Johnathan Franco, Energy Commercial Manager at GECOLSA, addressed how emerging economies such as Guyana can size generation assets efficiently as demand grows.

He said modular power system design is considered best practice for avoiding overinvestment in capacity.
“In my own experience, the best practice to avoid overbuilding is to design a modular power solution. When you implement a modular power system, you can use different kinds of sources, not just one, not only diesel. Most companies start with diesel because it is traditional, common, and initially the cheapest and fastest solution. But today, we can integrate other sources in the energy matrix, for instance, photovoltaic, energy storage systems, natural gas, biogas, and also diesel gensets,” Franco said.
He added that the main challenge is ensuring high-performance integration across multiple sources while scaling in phases.
“If you implement a modular solution, you install exactly what you need, without overbuilding. You can invest in your own processes, maximise cash flow, reduce financial risks, and save money. In conclusion, the best idea is to start step by step,” he said.
Building on that point, Andras Mesics, Chief Executive Officer and President of SOENERGY International, addressed how countries can meet rising demand despite long global manufacturing lead times for turbines and medium-speed engines – in some cases stretching to three or four years.
He pointed to what he described as a “bridge solution” model based on energy as a service.
Mesics also explained that rising global electricity demand is being driven by expansion in the oil and gas sector, increased residential consumption due to wider use of appliances and air conditioning, and the growth of electric vehicles and digital device usage. He noted that these trends are making overall demand more critical and more difficult to satisfy.
He said the manufacturing side of the energy industry was not fully prepared for the pace of growth, pointing out that producers of turbines and medium- and high-speed engines face capacity limits in how quickly new equipment can be delivered. As a result, he stressed that alternative approaches are needed to keep power systems expanding despite supply constraints.
“There is a solution called the bridge solution. While the permanent solution is being prepared, we can deploy a temporary solution. The concept is energy as a service – the off-taker doesn’t need to pay for the equipment or handle operation and maintenance. What really matters is the kilowatt hour delivered. It’s not forever; it connects the present need to the moment when the permanent solution is ready,” Mesics said.
Panellists noted that rapid expansion in oil, gas and mining operations is driving urgent electricity demand, making modular and temporary service-based generation an important stopgap while permanent plants are being developed.
The discussion also examined integration risks when adding new capacity to existing grids. One panellist warned that grid imbalance is often underestimated when new generation comes online.
“Adding capacity is not only installing more gensets or more megawatts. With proper monitoring and management tools, grid security can be maintained, but to mitigate imbalance risks, it is important to diversify the energy matrix with different sources—not only diesel, not only one source,” the expert said.