“We will have solar projects throughout Guyana” – PM on Guyana’s 1st solar photovoltaic farm

The newly commissioned $625 million 1.5 megawatts (MW) Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Farm in Daag Point, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) will provide clean, renewable energy to over 3000 residents of Bartica and its surrounding communities.
The project is evidence of the Government’s dedication to the low-carbon future envisioned in the Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030, which accelerates the use of natural gas as a transitional fuel between heavy fuel oil and solar, hydropower, wind, and biomass, Prime Minister, retired Brigadier Mark Phillips relayed at the commissioning ceremony on Friday.
“What is important for [the Government] is the development of all the people of Guyana and at a strategic level, we have a strategic directive, where we want to lead on food security, we want to lead on energy security, and we want to lead on matters pertaining to the environment,” the prime minister said.
Designed to accommodate increased levels of solar PV penetration as Bartica’s load grows, the 1.5 MW solar PV farm will generate and supply a total of 1,988 MWh to the grid, at maximum capacity. This will result in an estimated annual reduction of 4,500 drums of diesel consumption and 1.5-million-kilogram reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.
This is expected to save Guyana, Power and Light Inc. (GPL) some $210 million annually.
The success of this solar farm is encouraging the increase of solar and hydro projects throughout the country, with the Prime Minister revealing plans to establish micro-solar projects at Waramadong, Jawalla and Paruima by the end of May, 2023.
“More and more, we will have solar projects throughout Guyana, more and more we will have hydro projects.”

“We will also, as part of the energy mix, utilise solar energy, wind energy, biomass and hydro power. So, you have an energy mix there and more of the non-gas energy mix will be utilised to power the hinterland,” Phillips said.
This solar farm project forms a component of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)-funded Energy Matrix Diversification and Strengthening of the Department of Energy programme that partially focuses on providing sustainable, cleaner energy solutions in the Hinterland.
The programme also calls for the installation of PV mini-grid systems in Lethem and Mahdia as well as the implementation of their respective storage capacities to manage intermittence of these sources.
IDB’s Country Representative Lorena Solorzano Salazar was also present at the Friday commissioning ceremony alongside Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Energy Agency, Dr Mahender Sharma, Chief Executive Officer of GPL Renford Homer; Mayor of Bartica Gifford Marshall and Land Chairman of the Regional Democratic Council Kenneth Williams.