Suriname is offering its expertise to support Guyana’s hydropower project, highlighting its experience in renewable energy. Staatsolie’s Managing Director, Annand Jagesar, said Suriname is ready to collaborate and share its knowledge.
“We have a lot of hydro,” Jagesar said. “You have a nice project as well, potentially. Very jealous of that.” He noted that while Suriname’s hydropower capacity spans 1,500 square meters per megawatt, Guyana’s project, at 30 square meters per megawatt, could generate a similar amount of energy. “That’s a good project,” he added.
Jagesar stressed the need for cooperation. “It’s not been very beneficial to duplicate capital in both markets,” he said. “Eventually, we need to sit, especially with the gas and the Bauxite project and the downstream of the gas, and see what we can do.”
Suriname has studied regional energy solutions for years. “A lot of documents have been introduced by the InterAmerican Development Bank and the World Bank,” Jagesar said. These studies have recognized hydropower as a key energy source for northern Brazil and the Guianas.
Jagesar emphasized that large projects like this require collaboration. “We would like to join and add our experience,” he said.
Guyana’s Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, long regarded as a flagship initiative in Guyana’s transition to clean energy, has been postponed to 2029 as the country prioritizes its Gas-to-Energy (GtE) development to address increasing power demand. Phase 2 of the GtE project will compensate for meeting the country’s energy demands during the interim period.
Originally envisioned to provide 165 megawatts (MW) of clean, reliable energy to the national grid, the AFHP was planned for start-up in 2027. However, discussions broke down with its last contractor in 2022.
