Even as China Railway First Group (CRFG) indicated to Government its inability to execute the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP) in keeping with the Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model, it is encouraging news that President Dr Irfaan Ali made it pellucid the Government would continue to pursue the project.
Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP) is part of its energy mix that will ensure the nation is provided with clean, reliable and affordable electricity.
To quote President Ali: “Let me be very clear: we are not going to abandon this project…if we have to go out again and again, we are going to, because we know the studies and everything, including the independent review by Norway, has point to this project as being good for Guyana, being good for the environment, and bringing greater prosperity.”
From the onset, it should be stated that Guyana would have been in a better position regarding an affordable, reliable supply of electricity if there had been bipartisan support for the AFHP, which was proposed by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) years ago. In fact, had the Amaila Project gone through, it would have been in the system since 2017. By now the problem of constant blackouts would have been a thing of the past.
Therefore, it was refreshing for Guyanese to hear, coming out of the now-concluded International Energy Conference and Expo, that the AFHP is expected to get underway later this year, and that Government has committed to hiring international experts to both oversee and manage the project.
Petroleum Economist at the Natural Resources Ministry, Winston Brassington, in his most recent update, informed stakeholders that after over a decade since its conceptualisation, the transformational 165-megawatt (MW) project is very close to becoming a reality.
It could be recalled that the project was not given parliamentary support by the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Alliance For Change (AFC) parties, which had controlled the National Assembly by a one-seat majority at the time. Further, in spite of pleadings from the PPP/C to continue the conversation and ensure the project was restarted, when the APNU/AFC took office in 2015, they moved ahead and killed the project.
However, now that the PPP/C has returned to Government and has a parliamentary majority, it is now a reality that this transformative project would get off the ground.
Amaila was expected to deliver a steady source of clean, renewable energy and was envisioned to meet approximately 90 per cent of Guyana’s domestic energy needs while removing dependency on fossil fuels. The Electric Plant was proposed to be a 165MW (installed capacity) hydropower generation facility located in west-central Guyana approximately 250 kilometres south-west of Georgetown.
In addition, it would have improved Guyana’s balance of payments by significantly reducing end-user costs for electricity, and improving reliability of energy supply and generation of clean energy, which would have helped to encourage economic growth and development by improving regional competitiveness, Private Sector investment, and Foreign Direct Investment.
An “objective and facts-based” assessment done by Norconsult, an engineering and design consultancy firm from Norway, had concluded and recommended that “the only realistic path” for Guyana moving towards an emission-free electricity sector and achieving its 2025 Green Agenda commitment was to develop its hydropower potential in general, and maintain the AFHP in particular.
In spite of assurances from the power company that blackouts would be a thing of the past, over the past couple of years, prolonged periods of blackout have actually increased across the country. Consumers have written several letters to this newspaper expressing their disgust over the situation.
The Government has now taken steps to ensure that citizens are provided with affordable and reliable electricity utilising an energy mix of wind, solar and hydro. It is also working seriously on the gas-to-shore energy project which would see additional megawatts of power being provided.
As we had stated before, energy is one area in which there could be a bipartisan approach by politicians; meaning, the Opposition and the Government could work together towards a lasting solution to Guyana’s electricity problems.
