Govt. to use Norway Forest Funds for solar farms

Oct 04, 2021 News

Kaieteur News – The Government intends to build solar farms with the money it got from Norway in exchange for keeping its forests intact. The funds stand at about US$84 million.
Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo had said earlier this year that the Government wrote to the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) requesting access to the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF). The Bank is managing it.
The farms are expected to be built under the Guyana Utility Scale Solar Photovoltaic Program.
Already, Government has advertised for expressions of interest to provide consulting services to conduct topographic surveys, flood risk assessments, and geotechnical investigations for the planned solar photovoltaic farm project sites.
It is stated in the notice that “The Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana has earned financing from the Guyana REDD+ Investment Fund (GRIF) under the Guyana – Norway partnership and intends to apply part of the proceeds towards consulting services under the fiduciary safeguards, and operational policies and procedures of the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB).”
The project is being handled by the Guyana Power and Light (GPL). The agency is looking to hire a firm that is experienced in civil engineering site investigations for ground-mounted utility scale solar farms.
It said “The objective of the assignment is for the firm to conduct a site (land) feature and topographic survey, flood risk assessment and geotechnical engineering investigation for each of the eight (8) project sites for the 33MWp [megawatt peak]…”
GPL says it wants to have all relevant information on the ground conditions of each project site through the completion of the required topographic surveys, flood risk reports and geotechnical investigations.
There are a total of eight project sites earmarked for the farms – two in Region Two (Essequibo Coast), three in Region Ten (Linden), one in Region Five (West Coast Berbice), and two in Region Six (East Coast Berbice).
“This will minimize risk and liability while maximizing the economic and safe design of the projects to increase the likelihood of the projects being completed on time and within budget,” it said.
The Government has an ambitious energy mix plan. Solar is one part of it.
Guyana and India signed an agreement on Wednesday at the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, for a line of credit to Guyana totalling US$7.2 million, under the Indian Technical Economic Cooperation (ITEC) program. Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh said it will go toward a project to fund solar power initiatives for 30,000 homes in hinterland areas.
The Government also is advertising for bidders to install transmission lines to accommodate solar farms at Bartica and Lethem. The money for that project is coming from an IDB loan under the Energy Matrix Diversification and Institutional Strengthening of the Department of Energy Project.
The rest of the energy mix is intended to consist of natural gas, hydropower, and some of the more heavily polluting diesel and heavy fuel oil (HFO).

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