Opposition sees “reasonable progress” at Hydro project site

Representatives of the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) which have both

expressed reservations about the Amaila Falls hydropower initiative were on Saturday given a guided tour of the project site and the access road.

Describing the visit as timely, APNU parliamentarian Dr Rupert Roopnaraine said the coalition was pleased to have the opportunity to be on the ground, the Government Information Agency (GINA) said. “You see reports but it is only if you’re coming here to see what is actually happening, especially with some of the difficulties involved, that you grasp the project. From what I see reasonable progress is being made,” Roopnaraine is quoted by GINA as saying.

Excellent opportunity

APNU parliamentarian Joseph Harmon remarked that they had been afforded an excellent opportunity to see the road and challenges facing the contractors. “The fact that we have been able to see sections of the road has highlighted the need for government to make this kind of opportunity available for us as members of parliament so that we can get a better understanding of the challenges they face in completing the project… We have asked questions and received appropriate responses.”

The visit was deemed a signal of “government’s willingness to be more open with opposition members as it was unreasonable to expect their buy-in on a project of such magnitude”, without questions being asked, according to APNU parliamentarian Ronald Bulkan.

For the AFC’s David Patterson, the site visit was “a timely and interesting effort to review the progress on the project and it was much appreciated”.

He said he was pleased with the progress on sections completed and his party will pronounce on its findings after a due diligence report is completed by the Inter- American Development Bank (IDB) and a second follow-up visit is done in the next three or four months.

Public Works Minister Robeson Benn, accompanied by his ministry’s top engineering staff, said it was essential for stakeholders to be aware of the efforts that are being undertaken to ensure Guyana’s largest ever project is successful.

Minister Benn said the visit was put forward by President Donald Ramotar as a way to let the opposition members have a ‘look-see’ and understand the challenges faced in completing the project.

National interest

“I think we had a significant day in terms of seeing how we as Guyanese could develop our resources, in partnership with others for the further development of our country… in spite of our differences in Parliament or elsewhere, they should only support and not override national interest,” he stated.

In April, the parliamentary opposition voted to cut funding for the Low Carbon Development Strategy programme under which money was allocated for the Amaila Falls project.

Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, who has oversight for the energy sector, had pleaded with the opposition not to cut the budget and explained why such a huge project should not be jeopardised.

He said the cut in the expenditure from the Guyana Redd + Investment Fund (GRIF) will greatly compromise the development and, so, frustrate efforts to provide Guyanese with a much cheaper source of electricity.

At the last post-Cabinet briefing, Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon stated that amid significant challenges, the end-of -year deadline to complete the all-weather road to the project remains a target.

The road is crucial to accessing the hydro site located in Region Eight, but according to Dr Luncheon, the magnitude of work required to complete the road has presented formidable challenges.

Reliable electricity

The US$ 840 million hydroelectric project involves the construction of a hydro power plant at the confluence of the Amaila and Kuribrong rivers. Electricity produced at the plant will be delivered to Georgetown and Linden by a transmission line. The project, once completed, will result in significant foreign exchange savings and a regular supply of inexpensive, reliable electricity.

The project is a fundamental component of Guyana’s LCDS, and will significantly lower the nation’s carbon footprint while reducing its long-term energy costs and exposure to imported oil price volatility. The roadway will be seven metres wide with a 20-tonne capacity, while bridges crossing creeks will have a 120-tonne capacity.

Dynamic Engineering has been awarded the Gy$ 393 million contract to construct a four-span bridge with steel caissons across the Kuribrong River.