First solar farm to provide 17 hours power to Mabaruma 

DPI, Guyana, Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Seven hundred residents of Mabaruma will by August enjoy seventeen hours of clean and reliable electricity with the completion of Guyana’s first ever solar farm.

The $264Million farm in Region One will cover ten acres on Khan’s Hill will provide power to Mabaruma and down to the Wanina area. Currently, the Mabaruma Power Company provides only eight hours of electricity per day. The project is close to completion pending the arrival of some overseas materials. Mabaruma Town Mayor Henry Smith in a visit to the area told reporters on Friday.

“The lines are already being laid, it’s just to bring in the other input then we connect up, giving us an additional nine hours of current. This added to the eight hours that we have right now will give us 17 hours, out of 24 every day. We hope that by the end of August, it should be up and running.”

The mayor was at a part of a team of officials which included the Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock and Ministerial Advisor, Mervyn Williams who visited the site.

The project, which started in 2017 is being executed by German company Meeco in three phases: the first saw the extension of the distribution network from its endpoint to a new location in Khan’s Hill; the second stage catered for site preparation and construction of the fence; and the third phase involves the actual construction of the solar farm.

Other solar farms at Lethem in Region Nine, Mahdia in Region Eight and at Bartica in Region Seven are planned. These farms are anticipated to generate 800, 400, and 1.5 kilowatts of electricity respectively.  They are part of the government’s plan to move Guyana towards becoming a ‘Green State’ and serve to reduce the country’s fuel bill.

By: Synieka Thorne.

Images: Tejpaul Bridgemohan.

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