Batavia village gets 24-hour power with new solar grid

Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips on Wednesday commissioned a $300 million solar grid in Batavia Village, Region Seven, providing the hinterland community with 24-hour renewable electricity for the first time.

The project, launched in 2021 and executed by CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited in collaboration with the Government of Guyana, replaces diesel generators with solar power. It forms part of Guyana’s push to expand clean energy access in Amerindian communities under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030.

“Today, we celebrate both the completion of an energy project and the dawn of a new chapter in the lives of this community. It is a milestone marked by light, opportunity, and sustainable progress,” Phillips said at the commissioning.

The installation includes an 81-kilowatt micro-grid at Greenfield, a 24.2-kilowatt system at Arian Island, and 51 solar home systems for remote households, each rated at 2.2 kilowatts, a release said. Together, they electrify more than 125 households, ensuring every family in Batavia has reliable power.

“Reliable 24-hour electricity will transform daily life. Schools and the health clinic are now fully powered, teachers and students can utilise modern tools, and families will have the dignity and security of stable power,” Phillips said.

The Prime Minister commended CNOOC for demonstrating corporate social responsibility, while also recognising support from the Hinterland Electrification Company Inc. and the Guyana Energy Agency.

“This project exemplifies what can be achieved when the Government, the private sector, and Indigenous communities work together. CNOOC’s contribution has transformed Batavia, and I commend them for investing in clean energy that uplifts our hinterland communities,” he said.

The commissioning coincides with Amerindian Heritage Month. “It is therefore especially fitting that we not only honour heritage in words but also advance it in deeds. This solar project is living proof of our government’s commitment to ensuring Amerindian communities are central to national development,” Phillips said.

Batavia’s solar grid is the second of its kind in Cuyuni-Mazaruni, complementing the 1.5-megawatt solar farm in Bartica. The government plans 41 additional solar installations across nine administrative regions by 2026.

“This initiative transcends electricity; it is about dignity, empowerment, and opening doors to new opportunities. It is a model we will replicate in other villages as we continue to build a Guyana where no community is left behind,” Phillips added.

The Prime Minister also outlined wider investments in Indigenous development, including faster land titling, allocating at least 15 per cent of carbon credit revenues, expanding modern schools and dormitories, equipping health clinics with telemedicine, and boosting agriculture, agro-processing and tourism.