HGP Nightly News – President Irfaan Ali says the long-awaited new Berbice River Bridge could begin construction before the end of this year, with financing and final pricing now close to completion.
Speaking during a press conference, the President was asked for an update on contract negotiations for the new bridge, as well as the government’s planned acquisition of the existing Berbice Bridge.
According to Ali, the latest update indicates that the parties involved are “on the verge” of finalizing the financing arrangements and final price for the new structure.
“We are hoping to have that bridge started long before the end of this year,” the President said.
On the government’s move to acquire the existing Berbice Bridge, Ali said final meetings are currently ongoing and an agreement appears close.
“I think they are almost with agreement,” he said, adding that the matter could be finalized within the next few weeks.
The President also provided an update on the proposed Berbice gas development, explaining that the government is examining proposals from ExxonMobil, Fulcrum, and other partners to determine the best structure for the project.
Ali said the government’s aim is twofold: to monetize Guyana’s gas resources quickly while also building out onshore facilities that can support wider national development.
“We want to ensure we can monetize as quickly as possible. But at the same time, we want also to build out the onshore facilities as quickly as possible,” he said.
According to the President, the wider goal is to use gas to create the greatest multiplier effect for Guyana’s development and strengthen the country’s regional position.
Ali said discussions with Suriname are also important, particularly as that country considers how it will treat its own gas resources. He said Guyana is working toward its own pipeline and is exploring whether Suriname could feed into that pipeline.
“If that happens, of course, the project goes up to a higher scale with massive additional opportunities,” Ali stated.
The President said interest from the United States has been strong, especially in relation to the possible onshore industrial buildout connected to Berbice gas.
He pointed to the Berbice gas summit, where interest was shown in several major developments, including hyperscale data centres, large urea plants, energy facilities, and petrochemical industries.
Ali said Berbice will see the development of an exclusive development zone, with the deep-water port playing a central role in that plan.
He explained that many of the proposed onshore investments are directly connected to the establishment of port facilities, since large-scale industrial activity will require strong logistics and export capacity.
The President’s update places Berbice at the centre of several major national plans, including bridge development, gas monetization, industrial expansion, and regional energy cooperation.
