VEHSI commissions historic shore base facility for oil sector

January 26, 2025

The Vreed-En-Hoop Shorebase Inc. (VEHSI) has announced the official opening of Phase 1 of the Port of Vreed en Hoop, a state-of-the-art shore base facility at Plantation Best, West Bank Demerara. This milestone marks the completion of the first phase of this transformative project that will revolutionize Guyana’s oil and gas sector and provide critical infrastructure for the country’s expanding offshore energy industry. The facility was commissioned by His Excellency President Dr. Mohammed Irfaan Ali at a ceremony held on site.

This is the first shore base of its kind in Region Three and the precursor to what is expected to become the larger Port of Vreed en Hoop vision that seeks to improve Guyana’s long term maritime offerings. The project was developed by VEHSI, a joint venture between NRG Holdings Inc., a 100% Guyanese-owned consortium, and Jan De Nul, a globally renowned maritime infrastructure company, and is one of the largest private-sector investments in Guyana’s history, with an estimated cost of over US$260 million so far.

The opening of the shore base is expected to bring significant economic and employment opportunities to Region 3 and already during its construction phase, the project has created hundreds of jobs. It is now expected to generate massive employment and will continue to grow as it keeps expanding. In addition, local businesses and the immediate community have already seen the tangible benefits. During construction, over $60 million US dollars was invested in the deepening of the Demerara River channel; the channel has been widened from approximately 50 meters to 100 meters; it has also been extended from 18KM to over 28KM in length from the mouth of the river to provide access to larger vessels with deeper draught.  The community of Plantation Best has seen the addition of new roads and bridges as well as the improvement of existing infrastructure, in the process, raising the profile of the community and increasing property values.

The over 50 acres commissioned today will serve as a world-class Subsea Umbilicals, Flowlines, and Riser (SURF) shore base for ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL). It will provide essential services related to the oil and gas sub-sea infrastructure such as equipment storage, inspections, repairs and fabrication

VEHSI acknowledges the steadfast support of the Government of Guyana, particularly President Ali, for his rapid response and unwavering commitment to the project’s development. The collaboration between the government, private sector, and international partners has been instrumental in bringing this vision to life.