The government of Guyana signed a US$8.6 million contract with Power China to construct a building to house the National Control Centre of the Gas-to-Energy (GtE) project.
At the signing, Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips, fulfilling the functions of President, emphasized the crucial role of the building in the GtE project. “We promised the people that we would reduce the cost of electricity by 50% and we will deliver on that promise…come 2025, Guyanese will benefit from adequate electricity,” he stated.
The building, set to be constructed near Beterverwagting on the East Coast of Demerara, has a 13-month completion timeline. Kalpataru Projects International Limited (KPIL) from India had previously secured a US$159 million contract to develop transmission lines and substations, essential for the project. This transmission infrastructure is expected to be completed by 2024.
Additionally, the US-based partnership CH4/Lindsayca is building an integrated power plant and natural gas liquids (NGL) plant at US$759 million. The control centre’s scope includes all necessary engineering and procuring activities to complete the control centre building and install all systems. This includes designing, procuring, constructing, commissioning, and maintaining the building to meet specific performance standards.
The project also involves the installation of a diesel-fired generator set, ISO-rated at 125% of the building’s design load capacity, with a fuel tank providing 24 hours of autonomy.
The GtE project, considered the most transformational in Guyana’s history, involves building a pipeline to transport 50 million cubic feet of natural gas from the Liza field, operated by ExxonMobil, to the processing facility at Wales. Construction and pipelaying are already progressing at the Wales site.