The Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) recently held a public consultation with stakeholders and residents of Kumu and surrounding communities as it moves ahead with preparations for construction of a proposed 1.5 megawatt hydropower plant in the Rupununi community which is envisioned to become operational by 2025.
The project is expected to be funded by the Islamic Development Bank, the GEA said in a press statement. Though it did not state the cost, in June last year, Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson had said that US$6.42 million would be invested in the Kumu hydropower project.
The statement said that the project, located on the Kumu River in Region 9, would be a diversion type run-of-the-river plant some 15 kilometres southeast of Lethem. The project aims to utilise water from the Kumu River which will facilitate the installation of a 1.5MW plant. It will be connected to the Lethem electrical grid to serve Lethem and nearby villages with electricity, the GEA said.