Guyana has 8.5 GW of hydropower potential on 33 plants-LCDS 2030

─ second plant to be identified by 2025

The Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030 states that Guyana has 8.5 gigawatts of hydropower potential from 33 hydropower plants.

From this lot, the 165 MW Amaila Falls Hydropower plant will be built, as it has been identified as the best option to begin Guyana’s energy transition.

Building on Amaila, the PPP/C Government will seek to build a second largescale plant. This will be identified by 2025, and will be purposed to provide more than double the capacity Amaila will provide.

Hydropower plant #2, LCDS 2030 states, should provide 370 megawatts of capacity by 2035, and another 150 MW by 2040.

The PPP/C Government is positioning hydropower to serve as the most significant renewable contributor to Guyana’s clean energy transition.

The government sees hydro as uniquely positioned to provide a cheaper solution than any other technology, due to its long average lifespan of 100 years.

It is projected that 67 per cent of Guyana’s capacity will come from renewable sources by 2035.

The comprehensive diverse energy mix will provide cleaner energy at a globally competitive cost, reducing the cost of living and making Guyana a more attractive investment destination.

Natural gas will power Guyana’s economic revolution in the short to medium-term, through the gas-to-energy project, while investments into renewables will build traction.

However, over the medium to long- term, the government’s vision is for hydropower and other renewable energy options- solar, wind and biomass to take over.

Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo had said, “The world has come to the realisation because the pace of renewable is not keeping pace with the demand, that the introduction of renewable is not keeping pace with the growth of energy demand, that you need a transitional fuel, which is the gas -using gas to generate power because gas reduces the emissions by 50 per cent from burning, say, bunker c.”

Government expects the gas-to-energy project to last for some 25 years.