Guyana’s sustainable energy goals take centre stage at Int’l Energy Conference
Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips has highlighted the government’s commitment to providing affordable, stable, and reliable energy for Guyanese households and businesses, through its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030.
The prime minister took Guyana’s sustainable energy goals centre stage when he presented Thursday morning, at the International Energy Conference and Expo 2023, underway at the Marriott Hotel, Georgetown.
For context, the LCDS is a framework intended to map the path of a new growth trajectory in a non-polluting way.
At numerous forums, the government has made clear its focus on efficient, flexible, and reliable energy sources such as hydropower, natural gas and solar, among others, to reduce carbon emissions.
“It is estimated that by 2040, the world’s energy use and demand will double. In Guyana, we have already seen an increase in demand for energy. Between 2020 and 2022, Guyana experienced an unprecedented increase in peak power and energy demand. Peak demand increased by more than 30 per cent, while energy demand increased by some 24 per cent,” PM Phillips highlighted.
It is against this backdrop the administration continues to aggressively make efforts, putting systems in place to balance future demands ahead of time.
Along with the thrust of sustainable development and reduction of emissions, Guyana will, in 2024, have its breaking gas to energy project, which will see the conversion of natural gas into electrical power.
Action will also be taken to improve and upgrade the national grid, specifically the transmission and distribution of power. A modern control centre will be constructed along with the 230 kV and 69 KV stations.
The prime minister said there are also plans to relaunch the requests for proposals for the 165-megawatt Amaila Falls Hydropower Project. Other initiatives towards the energy future, include the advancement of power supply in public buildings.
“Ongoing works on the installation of some 19 solar-powered mini-grids with battery storage are advanced, and will provide renewable energy to some 230 Public and Community buildings by the end of 2023.
“Of course, our efforts towards reliable and sustainable energy have taken a holistic approach and include plans to improve our current power supply system given the difficulties encountered due to limitations of our own Guyana power and light, transmission and distribution capacity,” the senior government official added.
PM Phillips said the conference is aligned with Guyana’s mission towards prosperity, with the country experiencing an increase in peak power and energy demand due to rapid economic growth.
The conference, which provides a platform for stakeholders in the energy industry to share valuable information and discuss a range of topics, continues to showcase Guyana’s potential for sustainable development and its transition to an efficient, flexible, and reliable energy mix.