The Guyana Government has received US$1.7M from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) to implement a project titled “Mainstreaming Low Emissions Technologies to build Guyana’s Green Economy.”
The implementation partners are the Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL), the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) and the Hinterland Electrification Company.
According to the Ministry of the Presidency, the grant was facilitated through a partnership between the Office of Climate Change (OCC) and the the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the GEF.
The project inception workshop was held on Thursday morning at the Pegasus Hotel, Kingston, Georgetown.
Navindra Persaud, Representative of the UNDP Guyana, in his remarks, disclosed that through the project, it is expected that 7000MWh [megawatt hour] of electricity will be produced annually from renewable energy sources; 10,000 individuals will benefit from installed solar photovoltaic systems; US$850,000 will be saved by the country, annually, on public expenditure and greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced by 271, 000 tCO2eq over 10 years.
“In our strategic plan, we have particularly prioritised the reduction of poverty in all its forms and build countries to address developmental and interconnected challenges. One of these outputs speaks to the transition to more sustainable solutions for increased energy efficiency and access from renewable sources. This helps us to tackle climate change while promoting cheaper and more stable energy options,” he said.
Persaud noted that the UNDP remains committed to working with member states to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 agenda.
Head of the OCC, Janelle Christian, in her address said the Low Emissions Project’ aims to accelerate the uptake of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies to reduce dependency on imported fossil fuels and support Guyana on its path towards more decentralised, inclusive and resilient development.
The Project is designed to address the barriers in Guyana’s energy sector in order to develop a reliable and efficient low emission energy systems that is required for building a ‘green’ state.
In its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the Paris Agreement in 2015, Guyana committed to eliminating its dependence on fossil fuels for power generation by developing an energy mix consisting of wind, solar, biomass and hydropower to supply both the demand of the national grids and the energy requirements for the hinterland.
However, for this vision to be realised, there are several enabling conditions which must be put in place including the right legislative, policy and institutional framework complemented by technological and human capacity support.
Under the recently crafted development agenda, “Green State Development Strategy: Vision 2040”, Guyana has further articulated its renewable energy ambitions, in accordance with its international commitments.
She explained that having made this commitment, the country had to form pilot-type initiatives to investment projects of scale.
The OCC partnered with the UNDP to access the GEF funds under the allocation for climate change, which is in keeping with Office’s mandate to unlock support, whether through the mobilisation of finance, technology transfer or capacity building, in the furtherance of our national climate change ambitions.
The Inception Workshop will trigger the actual implementation of actions on the ground by the relevant agencies, Christian said.
The Project will look at: addressing policy framework and institutional capacities; sustainable business and financing models for low-carbon energy technologies and deployment of low-emission energy technologies; and working with technical institutes for training and certification in PV installation, repairs and maintenance.
