Procurement process in Guyana improving – US envoy

…underscores importance of modernising, digitising systems

The procurement process in Guyana is improving – a good indicator when it comes to creating an enabling environment for companies looking to bid for Government projects. This is according to outgoing United States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch.
During a recent press conference, her last in Guyana, the Ambassador spoke of the influx of US companies in Guyana looking for business opportunities. The Ambassador noted that transparency surrounding procurement processes in Guyana has been steadily improving.
“We’ve worked very closely with the Government of Guyana on issues of transparency and accountability. We have excellent partners throughout the Government. And so, we are seeing a procurement process that continues to improve here. And we think that’s very important. It’s very important to modernise systems.
“That’s very attractive to investors. Guyana has been able to attract many investors already, but at the rate at which companies are coming here to look at the opportunities, I think the more the country can do to modernise, to digitise, to have a process that is easy to navigate for companies, that will be in Guyana’s favour,” the Ambassador said.
The diplomat further noted that the Embassy played its own role in aiding US companies navigating bidding for contracts. And the results from the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) show the influx of US companies submitting bids for Government contracts.

“I think it’s a process that continues to improve. And we educate our companies on the processes. And they’re learning. And navigating the tender process. And continued improvement is always welcome,” the diplomat said.
One of the largest ongoing projects, the gas-to-shore project, currently has a US company involved. The US-based LINDSAYCA, in partnership with local firm CH4 Group, has a US$759 million contract to build the Integrated NGL Plant & 300-Megawatt (MW) Power Plant for the project.
The gas-to-shore project will include the power plant and NGL plant, all of which will be constructed within the Wales Development Zone (WDZ). When it comes to the construction of a combined cycle power plant, this will generate up to 300MW of power, with a net 250MW delivered into the Guyana Power and Light grid at a sub-station located on the East Bank of the Demerara River.
The Guyana Government has already invited interested parties to make investments in the WDZ, which will be heavily industrialised and for which approximately 150 acres of land have been allocated. Those lands were previously used by the Wales Sugar Estate.
Head of the Gas-to-Shore Task Force, Winston Brassington has previously stated that ExxonMobil Guyana, which is funding the pipeline aspect of the project out of cost oil, has found that there would be substantial savings from combining these two facilities.
The scope of the approximately US$900 million gas-to-shore project also include the construction of 225 kilometres of pipeline from the Liza field in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana, where Exxon and its partners are currently producing oil.
It features approximately 220 kilometres of a subsea pipeline offshore that will run from Liza Destiny and Liza Unity Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels in the Stabroek Block to the shore. Upon landing on the West Coast Demerara shore, the pipeline would continue for approximately 25 kilometres to the NGL plant at Wales, West Bank Demerara.
The pipeline would be 12 inches wide and is expected to transport per day some 50 million standard cubic feet (mscfpd) of dry gas to the NGL plant, but it has the capacity to push as much as 120 mscfpd.
The pipeline’s route onshore would follow the same path as the fibre-optic cables and will terminate at Hermitage, the part of the WDZ which will house the gas-to-shore project.