Guyana Power & Light (GPL) is inviting bids for the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) of eight utility-scale ground-mounted solar photovoltaic (PV) plants with battery energy storage systems, to be placed at Berbice, Linden and Essequibo.
Project documents indicated that the plants would total 33 Megawatt peak (MWp) with associated 34 Megawatt heat (MWh) energy storage systems distributed across the three areas. Specifically, it will invest in 10MWp in the Berbice area, an 8MWp project in the Essequibo system with a minimum of 12MWh battery storage, and a 15MWp plant connected to the Linden system, with a minimum of 22MWh battery storage.
The procurement is being executed under the Guyana Utility-Scale Solar Photovoltaic Programme (GUYS). About US$83.3 million is set aside from the Norway/Guyana REDD+ Investment fund.
Norway, Guyana, and the Inter-American Development Bank (holder of the funds) signed an agreement in June for Guyana to access the money.
In June, Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI) said that the projects will provide 27,000 households with cheap, clean energy – benefiting approximately 70,000 people.
Head of the Guyana Energy Agency, Dr. Mahendra Sharma told OilNOW in April that three years from now, Guyana will have 14 solar farms and 28 solar mini grids with an accumulated installed capacity of 39 megawatts (MW).
This solar expansion forms part of a larger transition plan under Guyana’s LCDS 2030, to expand Guyana’s power capacity to facilitate economic expansion, while keeping emissions low.
