China's SUMEC signs contract to build 18 MW of solar in Guyana

Chinese state-owned conglomerate SUMEC Co Ltd has signed a USD-38-million (EUR 35.2m) contract in Guyana to build solar farms in vulnerable communities and bolster the country's solar capabilities, the Guyanese government said on Tuesday.

The project is part of the USD-83.3-million Guyana Utility Scale Solar Photovoltaic Program (GUYSOL), which is funded through the Guyana-Norway partnership with a goal of diversifying the country's energy mix.

GUYSOL falls under the utility company Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL), while the project is managed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The contract between GUYSOL representatives and SUMEC will support the installation of 18 MW of solar power systems across Guyana -- 10 MW in the villages of Trafalgar, Prospect and Hampshire, and 8 MW in Onderneeming and Charity.

“If you notice where these projects are located, they are located in areas that need the energy more than us in Georgetown. This project also involves the element of training youths and women in the maintenance of the solar systems that will be installed,” Guyana’s Prime Minister Mark Phillips said.

The government expects 50 women and an additional 20 people, including those living with disabilities, to benefit from apprenticeship programmes created through this initiative.

(USD 1.0 = EUR 0.926)

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