Wales power station

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Wales power station is a power station in the pre-permit stage in Wales, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Guyana.

Location

Table 1: Project-level location details

Plant name Location Coordinates (WGS 84)
Wales power station Wales, Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Guyana 6.702742, -58.20634 (approximate)[1]

The map below shows the approximate location of the power station.

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Project Details

Table 2: Unit-level details

Unit name Status Fuel(s) Capacity (MW) Technology CHP Start year Retired year
Unit 1 pre-permit[2][3][4][5][6] fossil liquids - diesel, fossil gas - natural gas[5] 300[7][5] combined cycle[5] 2025[8]

CHP is an abbreviation for Combined Heat and Power. It is a technology that produces electricity and thermal energy at high efficiencies. Coal units track this information in the Captive Use section when known.

Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details

Unit name Owner Parent
Unit 1 Guyana Power and Light Inc [100%] Guyana Power and Light Inc

Background

The Wales power station is part of a proposed gas-to-power project that would make use of natural gas from the Liza oil and gas field in the Stabroek Oil and Gas Block off Guyana's Atlantic coast. Natural gas for the power station would be transported onshore via the proposed Liza Gas Pipeline.[9]

During early 2021, locations for the power station were being proposed and the former Wales Sugar Estate was favored as of January 2021 because of its proximity to population centers.[10] Politicians are emphasizing job creation and social program support that would be possible with the establishment of the power station in the Wales area.[11] The Alliance For Change (AFC) is opposed to the creation of the power station due to a high cost for a relatively short lifespan (approximately 11 years).[12] The AFC also notes that any pipeline associated with the power station would be a risk to maritime traffic.[12]

As of October 2020, Guyanese president Irfaan Ali said that he expected the project to be completed by the end of 2023.[13] By July 2021, the expected completion date had slipped to 2025.[14] In January 2022, ExxonMobil Guyana's president Alistair Routledge expressed hopes that a final investment decision would be made for the gas-to-power project during the first half of 2022.[9]

As of January 2022, 12 companies had submitted construction bids for the Wales power station, including Amerapex Corporation; National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago; Constutora Queiroz Galva; China Machinery Engineering Cooperation; Power China International Group; China Energy International Guyana Company Limited; CEPCOII Electric Power; CH4 Guyana Incorporated; Lyndsayca Incorporated; Apan Energy; Wison Offshore and Marine Limited; and Técnicas Reunidas.[15]

In August 2022, the Guyanese government issued an official Request for Proposals (RFP) for the 300 MW Wales gas plant and the associated gas pipeline, which stipulated that plant was to be owned and operated by the Government of Guyana.[16] The specific agency designated to run the plant is Guyana Power and Light[17], a 100% state-owned entity.[18]

As of October 2022, the Guyanese government was reportedly considering bids from five companies to oversee the plant's construction. The companies under consideration included Guycan Consortium, China Energy Int’l Group Co Ltd, China Machinery Engineering Inc, Power China International Group Ltd, and a consortium formed by Lindsayca Inc & CH4 Guyana Inc.[19] In December 2022, the government announced that it had signed a contract with Lindsayca-CH4 for construction of the US$ 759 million project.[20]

News reports in late 2022 and early 2023 indicated that the plant remained on track for a 2024 commissioning date.[21][22][23] Preliminary work was underway as of October 2023, including the clearing of land, laying of special drainage infrastructure, road improvements and bridge reinforcements designed to facilitate access to the power plant[24]; however, the plant's commissioning date had reportedly been pushed back to 2025.[25]

Opposition

Critics have questioned the financial viability of building the Wales Power Station and the associated Liza Gas Pipeline, suggesting that solar electricity would offer a more cost-effective way to satisfy Guyana's electrical demand.[26][27]

Articles and Resources

References

  1. https://web.archive.org/web/20240125123544/https://www.forbes.com/blaize/profile/savedArticles. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  2. https://web.archive.org/web/20230327155451/https://guyanaenergy.gy/preliminary-works-start-for-gas-to-power-project-in-guyana-ahead-of-fid/. Archived from the original on 27 March 2023. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. https://web.archive.org/web/20240125105914/https://www.argusmedia.com/en/news/2110903-guyana-to-offer-gastopower-project. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  4. https://web.archive.org/web/20240125105941/https://oilnow.gy/featured/gas-to-energy-project-guyanese-will-be-at-forefront-of-construction-operation/. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 https://web.archive.org/web/20240125093140/https://dpi.gov.gy/govt-receives-pre-qualification-bids-for-gas-to-energy-project/. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  6. https://web.archive.org/web/20230402222313/https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2023/02/20/300mw-gas-fired-power-plant-may-not-be-sufficient-to-meet-electricity-demand-brassington/. Archived from the original on 02 April 2023. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |archive-date= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
  7. https://web.archive.org/web/20240125102339/https://nre.gov.gy/2022/08/29/rfp-for-the-legal-consultancy-for-gas-to-energy-project-aug-27-2020/. Archived from the original on 25 January 2024. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. https://web.archive.org/web/20231016061423/https://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2023/10/15/gas-to-energy-project-to-start-up-one-year-later-than-promised/. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. 9.0 9.1 "Liza Unity start-up, gas-to-energy FID among major projects for Exxon this year - Routledge". OilNow. January 5, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  10. "Wales, Ogle, Vreed-en-Hoop among potential sites for gas-to-energy plant - Guyana Chronicle". Guyana Chronicle. 2021-01-03. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  11. GTIMES (2021-01-11). "Liquefied Petroleum Gas plant being considered for Wales – President Ali - Guyana Times". Guyana Times. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  12. 12.0 12.1 "Patterson says Wales gas-to-shore plans half-baked - Stabroek News". Stabroek News. 2021-05-02. Retrieved 2021-07-01.
  13. "Ali expects gas to shore project to deliver by end of 2023". Stabroek News. October 28, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. "Gas-to-energy project: Guyanese will be at forefront of construction, operation". OilNow. July 24, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. "Govt receives pre-qualification bids for gas-to-energy project". Department of Public Information, Guyana. January 23, 2022.
  16. "RFP for the Legal Consultancy for Gas to Energy Project". Ministry of Natural Resources, Guyana. Aug 27, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. "Gov't may execute both natural gas & power plants at Wales – Exxon official". News Room Guyana. May 12, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. Who We Are, Guyana Power and Light, accessed Nov 10, 2022
  19. "Gov't retains right to accept or reject bids for Wales gas plant without liability". Stabroek News. October 2, 2022.
  20. "Govt. signs agreement to build US$759M Wales gas plant". Kaieteur News. December 14, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. "Gas-to-Energy power plant must be done by 2024; NGL facility may come later – Jagdeo". OilNOW. August 25, 2022.
  22. "Gas-to-Energy project on track for 2024 delivery - Jagdeo". OilNOW. May 20, 2023.
  23. "Gov't retains right to accept or reject bids for Wales gas plant without liability". Stabroek News. October 2, 2022.
  24. "'Good progress' made on construction of Gas-to-Energy plant". News Room Guyana. October 18, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  25. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named :10
  26. "Int'l lawyer challenges VP Jagdeo to show evidence that gas-to-shore project will work". Kaieteur News. March 27, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  27. "Reinject gas and save Guyana". Kaieteur News. May 30, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)

Additional data

To access additional data, including an interactive map of gas-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Oil and Gas Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.