Cheaper fertiliser, cooking gas as PPP/C aims to establish industrial estates in Regions 3 and 6

With the landmark Gas-to-Energy (GtE) project poised to halve electricity costs by the end of 2026, the next wave of industrial growth will see estates established in Regions Three and Six dedicated to manufacturing fertiliser, cooking gas, and other essential commodities.

This was one of several key initiatives outlined in the PPP/C’s 2025 manifesto, launched today at the Pegasus Corporate Center, Kingston, ahead of the 1 September polls.

With the imminent operation of the GtE project, the party assured Guyanese and the business community that manufacturing enterprises will become viable and can achieve global competitiveness for the first time in the country’s history.

This ambitious vision, it said, will be realised through continued collaboration between the public and private sectors, positioning Guyana as the industrial capital of the Caribbean.

To achieve this, the party said it will complete the industrial estate at Wales, West Bank Demerara (WBD), over the next five years. The estate will host a vast complex of industrial and manufacturing enterprises.

Facilities will include the production of sufficient cooking gas to meet and exceed domestic demand, along with ammonia and urea for use as fertiliser, and the establishment of a hub utilising electricity for other manufacturing processes.

A second industrial estate of a similar nature will be constructed in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), where private capital could be mobilised for activities such as oil refining, alumina refining, fertiliser manufacturing, and a new petrochemical industry.

The PPP/C also intends to work with the private sector in its next term to achieve full occupancy at existing and soon-to-be-completed industrial estates at Onderneeming in Region Two, Belvedere in Region Six, Lethem in Region Nine, and York in Region Ten.

The party highlighted plans for additional estates to meet growing demand and the establishment of a Small Business Development Complex in Georgetown, providing small, micro, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with organised spaces and proper infrastructure to grow and operate more efficiently.

To enhance communities and improve living conditions, mini-industrial and commercial zones will be designated to accommodate the relocation of specific categories of businesses, according to the manifesto.

The 300MW GtE project is expected to end Guyana’s longstanding energy crisis, addressing both frequent blackouts and high electricity costs.