Guyana is developing a dedicated emergency response plan for its Gas-to-Energy (GtE) project while expanding disaster response infrastructure to support the country’s growing energy sector and critical assets.
Prime Minister Mark Phillips announced the measures on June 16 during the opening of the 14th Caribbean Conference on Comprehensive Disaster Management Partnership Breakfast and Launch Event, held under the theme “Resilience as Statecraft: Governing at the Speed of Risk.”
“A Gas-to-Energy Emergency Response Contingency Plan is in development, and new emergency response facilities at Lethem and Mahdia, as well as the multipurpose bonds in Georgetown, will be brought into operation,” the Prime Minister disclosed.
The GtE project is one of Guyana’s largest infrastructure investments. It is designed to bring natural gas from the ExxonMobil-operated Stabroek Block to an integrated facility at Wales, West Bank Demerara, where the gas will be processed for power generation and natural gas liquids production.
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The first phase of the project will utilize gas from the Liza field, where ExxonMobil made its first commercial oil discovery in 2015. Approximately 50 million cubic feet of natural gas per day is expected to be transported through a subsea pipeline to the Wales facility, where a 300-megawatt power plant is under construction.
PM Phillips explained that the Guyana government is taking steps to ensure emergency response systems keep pace with the country’s infrastructure and energy investments.
“Our economy is expanding, and our energy sector is growing. Our standing within the region has risen alongside that growth. Much of our population and economic life is concentrated along the coast, where the effects of a serious hazard would be felt most acutely. As we build new infrastructure and expand our energy capacity, the task of protecting those assets and the communities around them grows every year,” he said.
The GtE project is expected to cut electricity costs by 50% while improving the reliability of Guyana’s power supply. Using natural gas from the Stabroek Block to generate approximately 300 megawatts of electricity, the project is intended to reduce reliance on imported fuel, lower generation costs and save the country an estimated US$365 million annually in energy-related expenses.
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The first gas turbine linked to the GtE project is expected to come online by the end of 2026, with all turbines fully commissioned during the first quarter of 2027. The power plant is targeted for start-up early 2027.
