A solar grid has been inaugurated in the remote, Indigenous village of Batavia in Guyana.
Home to almost 700 residents, Batavia is located within Region 7 of Guyana, otherwise known as Cuyuni-Mazaruni, and is accessible primarily by boat.
The 217.4 kV solar grid consists of an 81 kW microgrid, another 24.2 kW solar system and 51 solar home systems for remote households, each with a capacity of 2.2 kW. Together, the installations electrify more than 125 households, ensuring residents in Batavia have access to reliable power round the clock.
The solar project, valued at GYD 300 million ($1.4 million), launched in 2021 and was delivered by CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited in collaboration with the Government of Guyana.
The commissioning of Batavia’s solar grid makes it the second of its kind in the Cuyuni-Mazaruni region, following the installation of a 1.5 MW solar farm in Bartica, the region’s capital.
Such projects are part of a wider government strategy implemented to ensure Guyana’s Amerindian communities are central to national development.
Speaking during a commissioning ceremony for the Batavia solar project, Guyana’s Prime Minister, Mark Phillips, said there are plans for 41 solar installations across nine administrative regions before the end of 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,” the Prime Minister added.
Guyana has invested in a number of off-grid and residential solar systems in recent months. The government approved a GYD 885 million investment to retrofit solar systems across 21 Amerindian villages in May, then introduced a net belling scheme for rooftop solar in June.
Last month, the country’s second largest island, Leguan, achieved energy independence following the commissioning of a 0.6 MW grid-forming solar farm, attached to 1.2 MWh of battery energy storage.
As of July this year, the government’s Solar Photovoltaic Home Energy Systems project had deployed 4.8 MW of solar. Guyana’s cumulative solar capacity reached 17 MW by the end of 2024, according to statistics from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
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