Prime Minister Mark Phillips yesterday inaugurated a $6.3m solar power system at the offices of the OAS and IICA on Brickdam.
According to a release from the Office of the Prime Minister, the PM, who was the keynote speaker at the commissioning of the Grid Tied Solar Photovoltaic Systems at the offices of Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Organization of American States (OAS), said “Renewable and clean energy plays a pivotal role in fostering economic growth, energy security, job creation, and poverty alleviation in a cost-effective manner while contributing to climate change mitigation.”
The release informed that the solar system has been set up at the Brickdam offices of the OAS and IICA to provide those facilities with electricity. Combined, both systems, it said, generate a total of 30 kilowatts with excess electricity diverted into the Demerara-Berbice Interconnect-ed System and utilised. The systems cost approximately $6.3 million.
This solar power initiative is part of a pilot programme undertaken by the Integrated Utility Services in collaboration with CARICOM and GIZ (German Agency for International Cooperation) under its Technical Assistance Programme for Sustainable Energy in the Caribbean (TAPSEC).
The Prime Minister told the gathering that the project is an example of the Government of Guyana’s commitment to achieving a low carbon economy and advancing the country’s transition towards clean energy development.
He noted too that apart from capacity building, this type of engagement between GPL and private institutions encourages revenue generation, strengthens partnerships and can only contribute to positive experiences in the future. “The model allows GPL to explore new ways of providing its services while allowing partners to procure affordable renewable energy and energy-efficient systems.”
Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha; Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar; and CEO of GPL, Bharat Dindyal, accompanied the Prime Minister at the OAS and IICA offices for the commissioning. Assistant Secre-tary-General of the OAS, Nestor Mendez; Director-General of IICA, Dr Manuel Otero and Assistant Secretary-General of the CARICOM Secretariat, Joseph Cox, among other regional officials, attended virtually.
