Former Dutch colony along Guyana’s coastline, Berbice, is steadily emerging as the country’s next hub for development, with increased investments, infrastructure upgrades, and growing interest from stakeholders.
Major projects have already been set in motion in the country’s ‘Ancient County’, to bring it firmly into the 21st century.
Soon, its landscape will transform with the addition of a multi-purpose stadium, the first ever. The Stabroek Block partners – ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC – through the Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI) are contributing GY$3.7 billion (approximately US$17.7 million) to its construction.
The Region also currently houses Guyana’s first oil and gas and hospitality training institute at Port Mourant. The first phase – a US$13 million floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel facility simulator (FacTor) – was commissioned last year.
And the business community is gearing up to reap those benefits.
“These investments present immense opportunities. Improved infrastructure…will attract more visitors and facilitate trade, particularly with Suriname as its oil industry accelerates,” President of the Berbice Chamber of Commerce and Development, Samantha Reid, told OilNOW in an invited comment. She said, “This creates openings in logistics, hospitality, supply chains, and support services for local businesses ready to innovate and scale.”
Currently, a ferry service links Guyana and Suriname. But soon, a bridge will be constructed, opening even more opportunities for Berbice. Reid said the Region must “position itself strategically.”
“Now is the time for local entrepreneurs to collaborate, build capacity and tap into emerging sectors,” she added.
Berbice will have its own Mall. Guyana’s President, Dr. Irfaan Ali, also sees the Region being a hub for gas supporting infrastructure. There is also a plan for a transmission line for electricity sales from a potential second gas plant at the location.
A second natural gas pipeline will be built to land in Berbice. The second pipeline is being planned to mirror the one Exxon installed last year from the Liza field to Wales on the West Bank of Demerara. That pipeline underpins the landmark Gas-to-Energy project, delivering up to 125 million standard cubic feet per day (scf/d) of associated gas for domestic power generation and the extraction of natural gas liquids (NGLs), which are expected to be sold commercially. The government has designated the surrounding area as the Wales Development Zone, where an industrial park is being developed. Similarly, the second pipeline will support the creation of another industrial park in Berbice.
This expansion aligns with the ‘Wales Gas Vision’ presented by ExxonMobil Guyana President Alistair Routledge at the Guyana Energy Conference in February. That vision includes supplying natural gas to an offshore LNG export facility and to Berbice for alumina and fertilizer production, as well as to support data centers.
And more recently, Muneshwers Limited and John Fernandes Limited, through their joint venture Cranes Guyana Inc., will invest over US$285 million to develop a modern port facility in Berbice. First announced at this year’s Local Content Summit, the project is expected to create around 1,000 jobs and strengthen Guyana’s shipping and logistics capacity. With strategic investments pouring in across sectors, Berbice is well on track to becoming a powerhouse of economic activity.
