LatinNews Daily - 20 February 2024

*Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali has spoken of the “heightened demand” for logistics and transport services, as Guyana moves to position itself to meet regional demands in relation to the energy sector. Speaking at the opening of the Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo in Georgetown, which is taking place from 19-22 February, President Ali said that “a valuable step in this direction will be taken through a collaboration between the governments of Guyana, Barbados, and Trinidad & Tobago” which will see the launching of a shipping asset for the movement of cargo. He also mentioned the Wales Gas-to-Energy project, which is being developed by the government, in Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Guyana, which features three crucial components, the construction of a 250km pipeline to deliver natural gas to shore, the establishment of a 300-megawatt combine cycle and NGL (natural gas liquids) facility, and upgrades to transmission line substations. The project is expected to cut electricity cost by at least half. He said that once operationalised it “will give Guyana a competitive edge within the industrial markets”. However, he highlighted that this alone “will not be enough to meet the growing energy demand”, adding that “there is additional demand for transport and logistics infrastructure”. Guyana has drawn major international interest since the discovery of offshore oil in 2015.