The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently analysing air safety measures relating to the newly anchored power ship along the Demerara River in the vicinity of Bank DIH Limited.
This was according to the Head of the EPA, Kemraj Parsram who admitted that Banks DIH is already emitting gases from its daily production and with that from the ship, can cause an environmental hazard.
According to Parsram, the evaluation of the power ship’s emitted gasses is part of their authorisation process while emphasising that the necessary measures are being implemented to ensure that emission levels remain insignificant.
Director of the EPA, Kemraj Parsram
“We are assessing the emissions as part of the authorisation process, making sure the safeguards are in place. We recognise the urgency, importance, and national interest of this project and we are working with the ship owners and the Government to ensure that emission levels do not pose significant risks to nearby residents,” Parsram stated.
He added that no significant problems have been identified thus far in the initial stages of analysis. “Right now, we are in the preliminary phase, and there haven’t been any significant results indicating hazards,” Parsram said.
However, if any challenges arise concerning emissions, the agency has committed to promptly notifying the public. “If any hazards are detected, we will address them immediately, but so far, we have not encountered any issues,” he assured.
In addition to air emissions, there are also concerns about gases being released into the water, which could pose other environmental risks.
The power ship emitting gas
The second power ship has been injecting an additional 60 megawatts (MW) of electricity into the national grid. The arrival of this second power ship comes after a contract signing last month between Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and the Joint Venture of Turkish-based Karpowership Global DMCC and Qatar-based UCC Energy International LLC JV, to charter a second power ship with a total installed capacity of 75 MW for two years.
In the first phase, the power ship will dispatch 60 MW to the grid in approximately six weeks followed by an additional 15 MW, once works are completed on an additional transmission line. The contract requires GPL to pay the Joint Venture 8.52 US cents per Kilowatt-hour (kWh) as a monthly charter fee for the new power ship.
It also requires a monthly operation and maintenance fee of 0.98 US cents per kWh, based on electricity generated. Under the contract, GPL is also responsible for providing Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) for the operation of the ship’s generators.
The addition of the second power ship will boost GPL’s generation capacity to 245 MW, ensuring reliable electricity during the holiday season and beyond. The first power ship had been deployed to Guyana in May of last year and is currently stationed at Everton in the Berbice River. (Misheal Henry)
