President, Dr. Irfaan Ali is giving Guyanese here and abroad first preference to invest in two of the country’s most transformative gas-based industries stemming from the imminent gas-to-energy project. These are the planned fertilizer plant and the gas-bottling and logistics company. The head of state made this announcement on Tuesday at the Berbice Development Summit.
The Guyanese leader said the decision aligns with the government’s commitment to ensure citizens reap the earliest and widest benefits from the emerging gas economy being developed at Wales on the West Bank of Demerara.
“What we are doing at Wales is more or less settled. That is, the two power plants that would give us enough energy to propel the current and future development. In addition to that power plant, we have an expression of interest out now for the (second) NGL facility, a fertilizer plant to take care of full national demand and some of our regional partners, the gas bottling and logistics company, the small industrial park, and a glass factory focusing on high-value glass,” President Ali told summit participants.
He underscored that Guyanese deserve priority in ownership of key downstream ventures, noting that the fertilizer plant and gas-bottling company will first be opened for public investment opportunities.
The Wales Development Zone, anchored by the flagship Gas-to-Energy Project, is rapidly emerging as Guyana’s first major gas-industrial hub. The site will process up to 50 million cubic feet of natural gas per day in its first phase, supplying feedstock for electricity generation and downstream manufacturing.
The government has already invited proposals for the Guyana Ammonia and Urea Plant (GAUP), a US$300 million facility expected to produce 300,000 tons of nitrogen-based fertilizer annually. The plant will utilize up to 20 million cubic feet of gas per day and is expected to be commissioned by 2028. It aims to meet Guyana’s entire fertilizer demand while supplying regional markets, including northern Brazil and CARICOM states.
The fertilizer project will operate under a public-private partnership and will incorporate world-class technology licensed by global specialists. By producing fertilizer locally, Guyana aims to reduce food-production costs, enhance agricultural competitiveness, and build export capacity.
Alongside GAUP, the government is advancing plans for a gas bottling and logistics company, which will use LPG streams from the Wales facilities to bottle and distribute cooking gas. With Guyanese households consuming the equivalent of three million 20-pound cylinders annually, the initiative is expected to stabilize LPG retail prices and strengthen national energy security.
Also in progress is a large Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) storage and marine offloading facility, which will enable international export of propane, butane, and condensates produced at Wales.
All three projects are part of a deliberate strategy to convert Guyana’s offshore gas into high-value products that fuel new industries, reduce imports, and create long-term jobs.