Despite political opposition to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) expansion project, works commenced on the runway some two weeks ago, the airport said Monday evening.
According to the CJIA, the contractor China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) is “tackling a trial section in the Timehri North area (beyond the localiser)”.
“I know we had some hiccups, but I am happy to see works have commenced for this transformational project,” Public Works and Transportation Minister Robeson Benn told CHEC technicians during a visit to the site on October 31. At the time of the visit, CHEC’s engineers were in the process of removing the soft soil (peat) and backfilling the area with sand.
When completed, the runway will be able to accommodate Boeing 747-400 aircraft.
The entire Gy$5.6 billion allocated to the transport sector programme was slashed by the parliamentary opposition during the consideration of the 2013 national budget estimates, despite the pleas of the government about the benefits that a modern airport will bring to this country. Of the amount, Gy$5.3 billion was budgeted for the upgrade, expansion and modernisation of the CJIA through the construction of a new terminal building, aprons, air-bridges, taxiways, and the extension of the runway by a further 3500 feet.
Benn had told a news conference back in July that US$20 million was earmarked for CHEC and work is ongoing; however, the heavy-earth moving and other works have not yet started.
Critical project
“It’s either we let the money go down the line and forget about it or do it, but the question is whether Guyana needs the project or not,” Minister Benn said.
He posited that the project has to go ahead. “We cannot stop the engineering refinement, and when we get the go-ahead, we are now doing all those things,” he said.
The US$150 million project is funded by the government of China through the China Exim Bank. Minister Benn said the budget cut has delayed the taking of certain steps between the company and Guyana, in terms of payments and signing of agreements.
The upgrade and expansion project comprises a new terminal building measuring 16,000 square metres, that will have eight passenger boarding bridges, two elevators; and CCTV and departures control systems. The project also involves the extension of the airport’s main runway by 3500ft to a final length of 10,500ft, and the construction of eight international parking positions, including a dedicated position for cargo aircraft.
The governments of Guyana and China inked the framework agreement on October 31, 2012 for a US$130 million (RMB 825 million) loan from the Chinese Exim Bank to fund construction of the project. Once completed, it would ensure that the CJIA is able to meet service projected traffic for several years and become a hub for regional and continental traffic, with a state-of-the-art airport.
Meanwhile, Minister Benn has reportedly instructed his engineers to carry out tests on the soil (peat) found in the area. Peat is an important source of fuel in certain parts of the world.
“Data has shown that over time, the formation of peat is often the first step in the geological formation of other fossil fuels such as lignite, which is considered the lowest rank of coal. It is mined in Bulgaria, Greece, Germany, Poland, Serbia, Russia, the United States, India, Australia, and many other parts of Europe and it is used almost exclusively as a fuel for steam-electric power generation,” CJIA said in the release. Up to 50 percent of Greece’s electricity and 25.7 percent of Germany’s comes from coal power plants, particularly low-grade coal such as lignite.
