Asian groups flock to Guyana utility scale solar-storage call

Eight groups submitted offers in Guyana Power and Light’s (GPL) tender to develop utility-scale solar capacity and associated battery energy storage.

The process is for eight photovoltaic plants and storage systems totaling 33MWp and 34MWh, respectively, in three lots: Berbice, Linden and Essequibo. The call was issued in December.

The bidders were Protable Turbine Energy, China National Machinery Import & Export, China Road and Bridge, Powerchina Jiangxi Electric Power Construction, Korea Electric Power & Green Energy, Sinosoar-Instec Consortium, Standing Power Eng., and Sumec Complete Equipment & Engineering, procurement information shows.

Read Chinese courting Guyana government amid energy build-out

The proposals ranged from US$17.6mn to US$35mn, depending on lot.

Last year, the government and IDB signed a financing agreement of up to US$83.3mn from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation to support the solar deployment. And in February, IDB Invest inked a deal with local firm 2020 FMCG to develop photovoltaic capacity.

Most of Guyana’s electricity comes from fuel oil-fired power plants with renewables limited to small-scale, off-grid units.

In his 2023 budget speech, finance minister Ashni Singh said that 43.4bn Guyanese dollars (US$206mn) was allocated for the energy sector.