World Bank Conducts Review of Regional CEGEB Project
GEORGETOWN, Guyana – The Guyana government says the World Bank has conducted a hybrid Implementation Review and Support Mission for the Caribbean Efficient and Green-Energy Buildings (CEGEB) project to assess implementation progress and provide technical support for ongoing project activities.
It said the CEGEB project is a regional initiative implemented across Guyana, St. Lucia, and Grenada, supporting energy efficiency and renewable energy investments in public sector infrastructure through harmonized technical standards and pooled procurement arrangements.
In Guyana, the project aims to cover 259 government buildings across several regions of the country, targeting a total installed renewable energy capacity of 21.2 MW and approximately 51 GWh in lifetime energy savings from energy efficiency interventions, while strengthening institutional capacity and skills development.
Guyana’s participation in the project, supported by the World Bank and financed through the International Development Association (IDA), represents a total investment of US$38.6 million, structured across three components.
The government said that these are the first component totalling US$33.8 million for public building retrofits and renewable energy investments; the second component in the sum of one million US dollars for technical assistance and capacity building; and the third component estimated at US$3.78 million for project management and implementation support.
The government sad that the January 12-14 mission focused on advancing implementation across technical, fiduciary, and safeguards dimensions, with particular attention to coordination at the national and regional levels.
“Key areas of engagement included implementation and fiduciary oversight: review of procurement, financial management, environmental and social risk management, and gender-related activities, assessment of the proposed long list of public facilities for the next phase of building energy audits, review of activities supporting Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) to improve system efficiency and readiness for enhanced renewable energy integration.”
There was also discussion on the need for a solid waste management strategy to address potential waste streams generated from renewable energy and energy efficiency interventions, including batteries, end-of-life solar PV components and electrical equipment, in alignment with environmental and social safeguards requirements.
As part of the mission, site visits were conducted at selected facilities identified under the project, and the progress made under the investment-grade audit (IGA) programme.
The mission was led by a World Bank task team comprising specialists in energy, procurement, financial management, and environmental and social safeguards.
“It concluded with high-level engagements at the Office of the Prime Minister, followed by a wrap-up meeting with the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), the Ministry of Finance, and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission, the regional counterpart for pooled procurement,” the statement added.
