The sod was turned earlier on Monday at the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), headquarters in Georgetown, for the start of construction of a Photovoltaic Power Generation System.
This power generation system which is manufactured in Japan will improve the efficiency of the power system in the capital city by enhancing distribution equipment.
Through the Guyana $3.3 billion, (US$16M) agreement, Japan will provide Guyana with equipment to improve its current system.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Karen Cummings during her address noted the timeliness of the project as countries are grappling the effects of Climate Change. She said Monday’s event laid the foundation for the incorporation of renewable energy.
“This component will assist in the improvement and reliability of power supply, through the reduction of power loss in the process of transmission and distribution of electricity, resulting in increased levels of efficiency. It also comes at an important juncture in our development, when the demand for reliable power is increasing and will continue to do so,” Dr. Cummings stated.
CARICOM Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque said the occasion was another milestone for the secretariat and its relationship with Japan.
“I well recall the green buildings initiative and the first energy audit of the secretariat in 2010 which laid the initial groundwork for the journey which has brought us here today, that time we were pursuing energy efficiency. It was an initiative fully supported by the senior management committee who urged that our headquarters should be a green building as an example to other public buildings in the community. Now with the help of the government of Japan, we are on the way of achieving that objective.” Ambassador Irwin LaRocque said.
Ambassador of Japan to Guyana and CARICOM, His Excellency Tatsua Hirayama, noted that Guyana and Japan have long enjoyed close relations, and this project is of a shared goal, “both countries are pursuing renewable energy.”
The project is being executed through the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
That governmental agency coordinates Official Development Assistance for the government of Japan and promotes international cooperation as well.
Solar power has become an important national priority for Japan, since the country’s shift in policies toward renewable energy after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster in 2011.
For Guyana, it’s part of Government’s thrust towards a “Green Economy”
