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.
The statement noted that over 140 persons were part of the recent consultation exercise which was held in St Ignatius at the ‘Community Benab’. The exercise was done as part of the process to ensure that both residents and other stakeholders were aware of what the project entails, its benefits to the community and to address any concerns they may have regarding the project. Attendees included representatives from the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), the Mayor and Town Council, the Rupununi Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Lethem Power Company Inc (LPCI) along with residents of Kumu, St Ignatius and Quarrie.
The statement said that Regional Vice Chairman Carl Singh, in his remarks, highlighted that the RDC is very pleased that the project is moving forward. Speaking to the project’s alignment with the Green State Development Strategy (GSDS), Singh posited that ”…while the project will allow for a reduction of electricity rate, and that is a very good thing, it also aligns with Guyana’s Green State Development Strategy and the vision for Guyana to become a Green State,” the statement said.
He encouraged those present to view the project as more than just the reduction of electricity cost and said it would allow the communities to reduce their carbon emissions and allow them to positively impact their environment, it added. Other officials from the communities also welcomed the project.
Based on questions posed, Hydropower Support Engineer Dolwin Khan, who facilitated the presentation, assured those in attendance that “….the project will be designed to minimise environmental impacts during construction and operation. The resort at the foot of the hill will not be negatively affected by the hydropower plant.” He further went on to explain that “…the water extracted through the diversion system to operate the hydropower plant will be returned into the river passing through the resort,” the statement said.
In addressing questions related to possible flooding due to the breaking of the hydropower weir/dam, Khan affirmed that “this was not a concern given the anticipated design and location of the dam.”
The statement noted that data gathering, which included location coordinates and flow measurement, for the Kumu Hydropower Project began in 2013 while a ‘Water Level Logger’ was installed approximately 300 metres upstream of the Kumu resort by the GEA with support from the Hydrometeorological Service (Hydromet). This allowed for consistent water level and spot flow measurements were performed throughout the study period.
“…a significant reduction in the production cost of electricity generated in Lethem is one of the main benefits of the construction of the hydropower station while the need for annual government subventions, which amounts to about 500,000 US Dollars per year, would be eliminated after commissioning,” Khan was quoted as telling the stakeholders. This, he said, “…would result in residents benefitting from a decrease in electricity cost…thus the proposed plant would contribute to affordable electricity tariffs.”
The GEA said the 1.5 MW plant will be connected to the Lethem power grid, which is operated by LPCI, a subsidiary of the state-owned Hinterland Electrification Company Inc (HECI) which oversees the generation, transmission, distribution and sales of electric energy to customers in the hinterland regions.
In April 1976, Montreal Engineering Company Ltd. (Monenco) conducted a comprehensive study that identified 67 potential sites with over 7,000 MW of hydropower potential in the country. Guyana, through the GEA, is focused on studying and analysing the various options for hydropower presented in the study with the ultimate objective of providing a reliable and affordable supply of energy for all within a sustainable framework. It is in this context, the Kumu Hydropower Site located on the Kanuku Mountain range on the Kumu stream, was identified for development and is also in keeping with the GSDS, the statement said.
Supervision of the project during the construction phase will be conducted by GEA’s Engineers, along with their counterparts from the HECI and the LPCI. Additionally, regular updates on the project will be provided to the RDC, Mayor and Councillors of Lethem and the residents in the beneficiary communities, it added.
