‘Engineering marvel’ as US$9M Kumu Hydropower Station commissioned

The energy landscape of Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) has been further bolstered with the commissioning of the 1.5 megawatt (MW) Kumu Hydropower Station – an ‘engineering marvel’ that will bring an end to the electricity generation woes of communities in Lethem and its environs.
Located at Kumu Village in Lethem, the 1.5 MW hydropower plant was constructed to the tune of US$9 million by Sri Lankan company Vidullanka PLC. In addition to the power station, some 1.84 kilometres (km) of transmission lines were installed to distribute the electricity.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony on Friday morning, Head of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), Dr Mahendar Sharma, noted that while the construction of this hydro facility was not easy given the terrain of the location, the end product is an engineering marvel.
“You have water from the top of the mountain; you’re capturing it a little bit; you’re putting it in this pipe or this penstock, and you’re bringing it down here… There is a box-looking thing, and within it is a turbine, and the water, because it’s not pressurised, is turning a wheel. And that wheel is connected to a shaft, which is connected to a generator, and you have power… Here you have right before you an engineering marvel – the idea of hydropower,” the GEA Head posited.
Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor of Lethem, Indira Singh, stated that Lethem has been grappling with limited power supply – something that will be fixed with the new hydro station.

“With Lethem’s growing population – new housing schemes being developed and old ones being extended – it is only logical that we will need more energy sources, so this 1.5 MW hydro station is a needed convenience and a significant developmental milestone for the township of Lethem and its environs,” she stated.
In addition to addressing the power woes of Lethem, the Deputy Mayor added that the Kumu Hydropower Plant will also create jobs for residents within the communities that it will serve.
This newly commissioned hydropower station at Kumu Village in Lethem is expected to generate approximately 9,700 MWh of clean energy annually—supplying up to 1,500 kilowatts (KW) to the Lethem Power Company grid, thus reducing fossil fuel reliance and advancing Guyana’s renewable energy agenda.
Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, in his address, pointed out that over the past five years, the government has been investing heavily in an energy mix of solar, hydro and natural gas.

“We’ve done a tremendous job over the past five years of harvesting energy from the sun [and water]. We have produced some 14.5 megawatts of electricity when we look at all the projects relating to solar and hydro projects,” he noted.
According to the Prime Minister, only recently, the government approved the establishment of another 21 mini solar grids in several hinterland communities across the country.
Moreover, PM Phillips went on to outline to residents of Kumu how the new hydropower project, which is aimed at bridging the energy divide, will enhance their lives.
“It means you can have longer hours of electricity… You can study for longer hours [with] the GOAL scholarships … With electricity and with internet connectivity, you can study in the nights.”
“So, what this means… what is happening on the coastland can now be achieved by you here in the hinterland… You’re part of the development that is taking place in Guyana, and that is what we set out to do five years ago… We set out to bring the development to every village, every community, every corner, every nook and cranny of Guyana,” Phillips stated.
With this 1.5 MW Kumu Hydropower Station, Region Nine’s total generating capacity has gone up to 5.2 MW. Currently, the peak electricity demand in the Lethem township is 2 MW.
Constructed under the government’s Small Hydropower Projects initiative and funded by the Islamic Development Bank, the Kumu Hydropower Plant complements the recently rehabilitated 0.7 MW Moco Moco Hydropower Plant. Together, with the 1 MW solar farm, the three facilities now form an integrated, renewable power system for Region Nine – all under the Guyana Government’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS 2030).