…as US$500M transmission line set to revolutionize energy delivery across regions
While much national attention has been drawn to high-profile developments in Guyana’s rapidly transforming economy, one of the most consequential infrastructure projects in the country’s history is quietly unfolding behind the villages of the East Coast Demerara corridor: a massive US$500 million steel tower transmission line linking Georgetown to Berbice.
According to Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, the project, which forms a critical component of the Gas-to-Energy (GtE) initiative, is well underway with little to no public fanfare, but its impacts — both present and future — would be profound.
The transmission project involves the construction of a 46-kilometre crusher run access road, currently under development by 12 contractors at a cost of G$5.5 billion, to facilitate the erection of giant steel towers. These towers would carry 230 kilovolt (kV) high-voltage lines from the planned power generation site at Wales, West Bank Demerara to Berbice, replacing the outdated wooden pole infrastructure currently used along the railway embankment.
“It runs on; we move power from Georgetown to Berbice on these wooden poles on the railway embankment, which have to be removed. But this would allow us to take large volumes of power all the way to Berbice to industrialise the East Coast, Region 5, Region 6. And because along the way there’ll be substations, so we can reduce the power, take them off the high-powered transmission lines, and then distribute the power to these communities,” Jagdeo shared.
The high-capacity transmission system is expected to revolutionise energy delivery, providing cheaper, more stable power to Regions Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), unlocking industrial potential in rural and coastal areas.
“Cheaper power, more reliable power, with better infrastructure. Critical for the future. But if you drive, you don’t see that happening. This is the machinery of the future being worked on without much fanfare,” the Vice President said.
The transmission project is just one of several major construction efforts currently converging along the East Coast, including the rollout of 18,737 house lots, 15,933 of which are still in infrastructural development.
Government has allocated G$52 billion to prepare these lands with proper roads, drainage, water and electricity, and nearly 40 contractors are working simultaneously to meet housing targets.
However, this development surge has brought disruption to local communities, particularly due to heavy truck traffic transporting construction materials through residential areas.
In response, Jagdeo recently convened a meeting with all contractors to review and revise logistics in order to ensure safer, more respectful movement through established communities.
“There are about 40 contractors working on these projects there. So, you can imagine the amount of sand, loam, and material that has to go through the East Coast villages, the established villages, to get to these new projects. And this is creating a problem for some communities on the East Coast…So, yesterday, I convened a meeting with all of the contractors who are working on all of these projects; and I, the minister was there, Minister Collin Croal, and the traffic chief. And we made it clear to the contractors that we’d hold them responsible for the way the trucks operate in these communities. So, I want the people on the East Coast to know that the instructions are quite clear,” he assured.
The Joint Venture formed by United States-based companies Lindsayca and CH4 was awarded the US$759 million contract in November 2022 to build the 300-megawatt (MW) Combined Cycle Power Plant and a Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility at Wales, West Bank Demerara (WBD) – key components of the GtE Project.
Back in January, a US$527 million loan agreement was signed between the Guyana Government and the US Export-Import (EXIM) Bank to finance the project. This signing was followed by a tour of the construction site.
Among these key accomplishments with the GtE Project is the completion of the soil stabilisation works. Only in September, GtE Project Lead Winston Brassington had disclosed that more than 1.65 million cubic metres (m3) of sand, along with over 160,000 m3 loam and 25,000 m3 crusher run, were purchased for the soil stabilisation exercise on the 100-acre Wales project site.
Another major milestone this year was the arrival of two state-of-the-art gas turbines from Sweden in October 2024. These turbines, capable of generating 300MW of electricity, are set to revolutionise Guyana’s energy landscape by providing cleaner power for decades to come.
Back in July, LNDCH4-Guyana successfully offloaded and transported seven essential transformers – devices that will step up the voltage for transmission and help to minimise energy loss, ensuring a stable power supply to homes and businesses in Guyana.
Initially, the GtE Project was scheduled to be completed by 2024 year-end, but following setbacks in handing over some components, including site preparation works, LNDCH4 was given an extension to this year to deliver the power plant.
However, the contractor wants more than the three-month extension that the Government has granted along with the financial claim – both of which were rejected by the state, hence the move to the dispute resolution process.
