The first in a series of discussions on commercial and power generation issues between officers of the Government of Guyana and technical members of ExxonMobil will begin in Georgetown today, according to a release from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI).
The working group is set to convene today and tomorrow and will feature technical persons from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Business, Guyana Energy Agency, and the Guyana Power and Light Inc., along with ExxonMobil’s power generation specialists and analysts.
The release said that the working group will focus on natural gas and the attendant commercial and economic issues as it relates to transportation from offshore for onshore power generation. Compared to Guyana’s current use of petroleum for electricity generation, natural gas is cleaner and its use for energy production could reduce the country’s fuel bill, and in turn, reduce the cost of electricity, the release posited.
According to the release, the working group will continue dialogue on local and international power generation experiences, including domestic infrastructural requirements and consideration of the potential of natural gas in gas-fired power generation.
The agenda will also encompass an overview of commercial power generation structures and approaches to power investment. MPI said it is expected that capacity building for local and key technical government officials will be the major output of the two-day session.
It added that this was particularly important in light of the recent consultations held by the Ministry of Natural Resources on local content policy and its focus on maximising benefits and value retention from Guyana’s petroleum resources.
“As the first of such sessions, the Government of Guyana looks forward to furthering its understanding of the technical and key dynamics of proposed projects in an effort to diversify the energy mix in Guyana,” Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson explained in the release. Patterson noted that the sessions will not serve as an occasion for negotiations or review of contractual obligations between Guyana and ExxonMobil.
