Wales Gas-to-Energy: Electricity generated to power industrial activities on never-before-seen scale in Guyana – Finance Minister

Industrial activity across Guyana will be catapulted into a never-before-seen scale when the highly-anticipated the Gas-to-Energy (GtE) Project comes onstream, bringing a stable and clean energy supply while slashing the current high cost of electricity in the country by half.

Located at Wales, West Coast Demerara, the GtE project comprises a 300-megawatt (MW) combined cycle power plant and a Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility, utilising natural gas that will be piped onshore from oil operation activities in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana.
Already, some 250 kilometres of 12-inch pipelines have been laid to bring the rich gas onshore. This first phase, however, will only utilise 40 per cent of the pipeline’s capacity. As such, the Government is moving ahead with Phase Two to utilise the remaining 60 per cent capacity of the pipeline for a second 300-MW power plant and NGL facility right at the Wales location.
With this addition of a combined 600 MW of electricity to the national grid – the first 300 MW expected by this yearend, Senior Minister with Responsibility for Finance Dr Ashni Singh says the foundation is being laid for massive industrialization in the country.
“The electricity that will be generated in Wales lays the foundation for industrial activity on a scale like we’ve never seen before. You’re going to have the NGL plant. You’re going to have the capability for us to start fertilizer manufacturing. You’re going to have the capability for us potentially to have other manufacturers. You’re going to have the capability for us to have our first data center,” Dr Singh stated during the latest episode of the Starting Point podcast.
Only last November, Guyana signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with United States-based Cerebras Systems to build and operate a state-of-the-art artificial intelligence (AI) data centre of up to 100 megawatts (MW) at Wales.

Second gas pipe
According to the finance minister, the Gas-to-Energy project will trigger many other similar initiatives. This, he went onto explain, will be further scale up when the second gas project in Berbice comes onstream.
In order to fully monetise the country rich gas resources offshore, the Guyana Government is eyeing the development of a second gas project in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) to support large-scale industrial growth with facilities such as power plants, data centres and alumina plants, among other heavy industries. This project, which will see a second much larger pipeline installed from offshore, will be separate from the Wales project.
Already, a number of international companies have expressed interest in processing Guyanese bauxite into alumina at the Berbice gas project, while talks have been ongoing for the emergence of a petrochemical industry there.

Investors confidence
In fact, Minister Singh pointed out that the international investment community is already seeing Guyana as an attractive destination, not just in oil and gas though some of the industry giants have already established a presence here. Similarly, he noted that domestic investors are even more confident in participating in Guyana’s unprecedented economic transformation.
“We could go through every single sector and you’ll see the overwhelming reality that not only do foreign investors see in Guyana, one of the most attractive destinations…to put their investment dollars, if not the most attractive… but more and more Guyanese investors and entrepreneurs are also seeing Guyana as the most attractive place to live, invest [and] work,” Dr Singh emphasised.
Citing even more exciting times ahead with limitless and boundless opportunities, the finance minister is urging Guyanese citizens to prepare themselves to take advantage of them.
Ready for opportunities
“I would advise every single Guyanese person, particularly young people, get the skills now, upskill yourself now. Get trained and re-trained and up-trained. If you haven’t completed high school, get a high school diploma under the GOAL Scholarship Programme. If you’ve completed your high school or you have a high school diploma, try to get a diploma or a degree or go to a technical institute and get a certification. If you’ve completed one, get another certification and get some experience and start to work. Build your portfolio of qualifications and experience now,” he stressed.
According to Singh, the President Dr Irfaan Ali-led People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration has put the mechanisms in place for Guyanese citizens to get qualified. These include the Guyana Online Academy of Learning scholarship initiative, free tertiary education at the University of Guyana (UG) and the technical training at a number of facilities across the country.
“It’s all free. And it’s not, again, it’s not free by accident because President Ali has said every single Guyanese person of working age must be equipped and able to get a good quality job and earn a good quality income. That’s why we’ve made it free. Because we know what is coming down the road in terms of job opportunities and entrepreneurial opportunities. And this is the time for the Guyanese people to get themselves ready for those opportunities,” Minister Singh stated.