GPL Signs Contract for 18 MWp Solar Energy Expansion

GPL Signs Contract for 18 MWp Solar Energy Expansion

GPL Signs Contract for 18 MWp Solar Energy Expansion

On March 26, 2024, a significant step toward enhancing Guyana’s renewable energy infrastructure was taken as the Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) signed an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract with SUMEC Complete Equipment & Engineering Co. Ltd and XJ Group Corporation. This contract marks the commencement of the installation of five Utility-Scale Ground-Mounted Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Plants with Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) under the Guyana Utility-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Program (GUYSOL).

The installation of these Solar PV plants will collectively add 18 MWp (Megawatt peak) of electricity generation capacity to GPL’s grid, with 10 MWp allocated for the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS) and 8 MWp designated for the Essequibo Coast, along with BESS.

The five project sites identified for these installations are strategically located across Guyana:

• Trafalgar, West Coast Berbice: 4 MWp
• Hampshire, East Bank Berbice: 3 MWp
• Prospect, East Bank Berbice: 3 MWp
• Onderneeming, Essequibo Coast: 5 MWp with BESS
• Charity, Essequibo Coast: 3 MWp with BESS

This initiative underscores the Government’s commitment to bolstering climate-resilient renewable energy resources in electricity generation, aligning closely with the Guyana Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030. The program receives funding from the Guyana/Norway partnership, with an estimated investment of US $83.3 million, administered by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

Notably, this marks the second Solar PV installation aimed at expanding generation capacity on GPL’s grid, following the commissioning of the first Solar PV Installation in Bartica, Region 7, in March 2023.

The signing ceremony for the contract was attended by esteemed dignitaries including Hon. Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips, Prime Minister of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana; Hon. Dr. Ashni K. Singh, Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance and the Public Service; Hon. Deodat Indar, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works; Ambassador Guo Haiyan, Chinese Ambassador to Guyana; Mr. Maurice Gajadhar, Chairman of the Board of Directors of GPL; Mr. Kesh Nandlall, Team Leader Management Committee of GPL; and Mr. Amir Dillawar, Program Coordinator of GUYSOL.

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