Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL), the main State electricity provider, has invited bids for a solar system at the town of Linden.
The contract is for engineering, procurement and construction of three utility scale ground mounted solar photovoltaic plants totaling 15 megawatt-peak (MWp), with battery energy storage systems totaling 22 megawatt-hours (MWh).
GPL said a pre-bid meeting and site visit will be held on August 5-6, 2024. Bids must be delivered before 9:00 hrs on Thursday, September 26, 2024. Bidding will be conducted through International Competitive Bidding (ICB) procedures of the International Development Bank (IDB).
The Linden system’s three plants are among eight planned under the Guyana Utility Scale Solar Photovoltaic Program (GUYSOL). The projects are being financed by payments Guyana received from Norway for conserving its forests. The IDB has been tasked with administering the funds, totaling US$83.3 million, paid by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD).
GUYSOL includes plans for systems totaling 33 MWp with associated 34 MWh energy storage systems distributed across three areas. The other systems are meant for Berbice and Essequibo. GUYSOL is part of a larger group of projects being undertaken by the Guyana government to replace fossil fuel generation in some coastal towns and hinterland communities with renewable energy.
An isolated solar project aims to provide the island village of Leguan with solar power. The government has also substantially completed a project to distribute 30,000 solar home energy systems to hinterland and riverrain communities.
The Guyana Energy Agency (GEA)’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Mahendar Sharma told OilNOW in 2022 that solar projects to be implemented in the lead-up to 2025 total 39 MWp. He said they include plans for 14 solar farms and 28 solar mini-grids. A contract was awarded in the same year for two small hydropower plants at the remote Kumu and Moco Moco villages. The Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) is funding the hydro projects.
A large-scale hydropower project planned for a remote waterfall called Amaila is yet to be implemented.
