As part of GuySuCo’s efforts to maximise opportunities created out of Guyana’s emerging oil & gas sector, the river channel alongside the Demerara Sugar Terminal (DST) in Ruimveldt, Georgetown is being desilted, according to a release from the company yesterday.
The release also stated that the multi-million-dollar venture, which commenced on May 1, is a collaborative effort between the Maritime Administrative Department (MARAD), Ministry of Public Works, and GuySuCo. It is expected to be completed by May 14, 2021
The DST is GuySuCo’s largest berthing facility and is located on the east bank of the Demerara River. According to the Manager, Roger Bradshaw, it was built with concrete and steel several decades ago and is used by ships transporting sugar for bulk storage at the Demerara Sugar Terminal to be sold on both the local and export markets. He explained that the desilting exercise was much needed since a huge deposit of silt was affecting the operational efficiency at the Demerara Sugar Terminal resulting sometimes in increased operational costs to offload or load a vessel. “During low tides we cease operations and wait until the water rises during high tide for us to complete our tasks whether it’s offloading or loading a vessel.”
The last time the channel was desilted was in 2014.
On completion of the desilting process, ships with a maximum length of 400 metres and a draft of 7 metres can berth at the DST facility and there will be a significant increase in operational efficiency due to the reduced number of stoppages as a result of built-up silt, Bradshaw said.
According to GuySuCo, the desilting exercise “is integral to GuySuCo’s Strategic Plan to maximise the usage of all its facilities to become economically viable once again.” The company intends to extend the services offered at the Demerara Sugar Terminal in wake of the increasing demand for such services by Guyana’s emerging oil & gas sector, the release added.
