Dear Editor,
It is not surprising at all to read that the Ministry of Finance (MoF) has come out and denounced the continued misinformation peddled against the Amaila Falls Hydro Project (AFHP). In its statement, the MoF drew attention to ‘information,’ more like a canard, “… and published under the banner of a daily publication, indicating that the Amaila Falls power plant would not supply electricity to Esse-quibo and Berbice.” Let us back up to December 2016, as many of us seem to forget too conveniently. Back then, the independent assessment of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP) did reveal that the only realistic path for Guyana moving towards an emission-free electricity sector is by developing its hydropower potential. The report,
compiled by Norconsult, an engineering and design consultancy firm out of Norway, and which was contracted by the Government of Norway, detailed an “objective and facts-based” assessment of the Project on the agreement of the two Governments, and made some telling statements.
Essentially, the go-ahead was unambiguous, and that was way back in 2016. Part of the statement says that “It is our opinion that BOOT (Build, Own, Operate, Transfer) type public-private partnership model should be maintained for the project implementation. An internationally well-merited investor and operator in the hydropower industry should be invited to take the majority position and the driving seat (main sponsor) in the project company.” So, irrespective of the means of accomplishing the AFHP, the bottom line is that Guyana must not stall. When it is all said and done, Guyana will be supplied with electricity “at a cost not exceeding US$0.07737 per KWH, as against what currently obtains, which is also largely fossil fuel-based, at $0.32 per KWH. This must not go on. We also know that power is not stable in many areas, and the current high cost of electricity continues to affect operating performance for businesses and is a major challenge to the productive sector, as profitability is severely compromised.
So “This statement, once again and much like many other statements coming out of this media house recently, is simply not true. Amaila will supply electricity through Sophia to the national grid for distribution,” the Ministry had to clarify. It further detailed that that this will include Berbice, which is already connected through the Demerara-Berbice Intercon-nected System (DBIS). Additionally, even in advance of Amaila, the Government is already working to deliver approximately 10 megawatts of peak solar power directly to Regions Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne). “Similarly, the Government is also already working on a project to deliver eight megawatts of solar power to Essequibo. Furthermore, the master plan for the electricity sector includes linking isolated Essequibo systems with the DBIS by 2026.” I am glad to learn that “Construction on the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP) will start this year, as Government continues to ramp up spending on renewable energy projects as well as upgrades to the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) infrastructure. The expected completion date is 2027.”
Sincerely,
H. Singh
