Lower electricity costs could make Guyana a more competitive place to manufacture goods, but affordable power alone will not build an industrial base. Factories are built where affordable power is matched by industrial land, transport links, financing, skilled workers, and reliable supply chains. Those are the conditions Guyana is now working to put in place as its oil-driven economy expands.
The government’s Gas-to-Energy (GtE) project is central to that effort. Designed to bring natural gas from the Stabroek Block to Wales on the West Bank of Demerara, the project includes a natural gas liquids plant, a 300-megawatt power plant and transmission infrastructure expected to reduce electricity costs and improve reliability.
President Irfaan Ali has already indicated that Guyana is planning a second phase because future economic activity is expected to consume all the electricity generated under Phase One. He has also identified Region Three (Essequibo Islands–West Demerara) as the country’s future industrial hub, supported by new highways, the recently commissioned Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge and planned port facilities.
Access to finance is another piece of the puzzle. Establishing or expanding a factory requires significant investment in buildings, machinery and equipment. While lower operating costs improve the business case, government plans for a Development Bank are intended to improve access to long-term financing for productive sectors, including manufacturing.
Manufacturers also depend on skilled workers. Technicians, electricians, welders, engineers and logistics specialists are being trained through programs offered by institutions such as the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), building skills that are equally valuable in manufacturing.
The pace of training has accelerated in recent years. Labour Minister Keoma Griffith said BIT had already trained 1,679 Guyanese in the first four months of 2026, in occupations such as heavy equipment operation, electrical installation, welding and fabrication, information technology and commercial food preparation. He also noted that more than 16,000 people were trained through BIT between 2020 and 2025.
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Guyana’s industrial supply chain is also becoming stronger. Companies that expanded to support offshore oil operations are building capabilities that extend beyond the petroleum sector. Guyana Shore Base Inc. (GYSBI) has grown into a major logistics hub with warehousing, storage, waste management and supply chain services, while the Vreed-en-Hoop Shorebase is adding marine logistics, cargo handling, fabrication support and offshore services that strengthen the country’s industrial capacity.
Guyana’s manufacturing sector is already showing signs of momentum, with the sector recording 20% growth in 2025, according to Budget 2026 figures. Affordable electricity from the Gas-to-Energy project could strengthen that progress, but sustained development will depend on the wider ecosystem being built around it.
