Anna Regina to benefit from renewable energy
GINA, GUYANA, Tuesday, September, 6 2016
The Anna Regina Township is set to benefit from a cost-effective and eco-friendly generating system to replace the age old one distributing electricity in the area.
In a recent interview with the Government Information Agency (GINA), Acting Chief Executive Officer, Guyana Power and Light, Renford Homer, said that the Region Two town is currently receiving electricity from engines that are more than 20 years old.
To correct this, tenders are out for smaller engines. The town will also benefit from renewable energy, shortly. “That would see the use of renewable resources in conjunction with the use of fossil fuel generation. The expectation is to see the use of renewable sources during day light hours, and it would suggest we are considering solar energy,” Homer explained.
It is not economically feasible for the power company to invest in a significant amount of storage for electricity at night; as such it will move to fossil fuel generation to substitute at night, Homer explained. This will result in huge savings for the power company since the engines would not be in use during the day. “So what you will see over time is a penetration of renewable (energy) into the grid,” the acting CEO said.
While Guyana is in the process of reviving its national energy policy that would involve a number of stakeholders across the country, the effort is to promote the objective of providing a stable, reliable and economic supply of energy.
It is expected that the energy policy speak to the percentage of renewable generation as part of the overall generation by the year 2035. The policy is a long-term document which would be up for revision from time to time, Homer explained.
Renewable energy sources provide increased system efficiency, as well as greater balance in energy supply, and are an integral part of Guyana’s drive to achieve a green economy.
Last month at the Guyana Energy Agency’s (GEA) National Workshop on Energy Efficiency, Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, said that the government is committed to energy conservation and the development and utilisation of alternative sources of energy.
This commitment is in keeping with the national priority of a green economy and Guyana’s trajectory towards sustainable development. Going forward, the government aims to advance measures necessary to secure efficient energy management in the public’s interest, Minister Patterson explained.