Govt’s reasoning for halting Amaila project lacks veracity – Jagdeo

Opposition Leader Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has taken Finance Minister, Winston Jordan to task over comments he made at a recent public event about the Amaila Falls Hydroelectricity Project (AFHP), which he says lacks veracity and does not confirm to logical reasons for halting the project.

While Jagdeo admitted that the coalition Government’s intention not to pursue the AFHP has been made known before, he accused Jordan of providing insubstantial evidence and reasoning as to why the now Government has decided not to continue with the projects full implementation.

The opposition leader was making reference to Jordan’s speech made at a recent Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) event. While many people were frowning over the speech, according to Jagdeo, policy wise, it lacked substance and vision. “Not a single attempt to address any of the concerns of the manufacturing sector and the services sector in a tangible way, just platitudes,” he added.

The AFHP which formed part of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) was the brainchild of Jagdeo, which was commissioned in 2009. And having taken up office in 2015, the now Government had repeatedly stated its disapproval to resurrecting the project.

But the former president believes that the coalition has killed the project, although it was set to provide Guyana with massive source of electricity. “This is the year we would have turned on the switch and hydro power would have flowed through the country,” he said.

He reminded that arrangements under the Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government would have guaranteed that the Government would not have incurred any debt for this project.

In fact, part of the financing was expected to come from a Norwegian grant to buy equity into the project. The remainder of the project would have been privately funded by the contractors who were expected to sell power to Government, some through equity and some through a loan.

Jagdeo said, “But we would have bought power at half of the price that we were generating power at 2012 because of the price of oil at that time which was about 20 cents per kilowatt an hour…we would have bought power at 10 cents per kilowatt an hour.”

Although there were concerns about some technical issues with the project, Jagdeo explained that these were dealt with. An evaluation found that a reservoir could have been constructed to facilitate the continuous flow of power, in the event the dry season stepped in.

Addressing the issue of alleged corruption associated with the AFHP, which Jordan sought to address during the private sector event, Jagdeo said although there were some concerns raised about the then contract associated with Fip Motilall, he has repeatedly called on the Government to release the evaluation report done by a technical team when the bids were received.

Govt’s reasoning for halting Amaila project lacks veracity – Jagdeo

July 13, 2017, http://www.inewsguyana.com/gov...cks-veracity-jagdeo/

Opposition Leader Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has taken Finance Minister, Winston Jordan to task over comments he made at a recent public event about the Amaila Falls Hydroelectricity Project (AFHP), which he says lacks veracity and does not confirm to logical reasons for halting the project.

Although there were concerns about some technical issues with the project, Jagdeo explained that these were dealt with. An evaluation found that a reservoir could have been constructed to facilitate the continuous flow of power, in the event the dry season stepped in.

1. Indeed, there are always concerns in the preliminary settings, planning, approval, implementation, etc. stages.

2. While the main stem on which the dam is to be built does not have the needed flows, diversion of flows from another stream would have augmented the needed requirement for the project.

3. Diversion of flows from other stream to augment flows on the main stem is not new; as there are projects worldwide which have this feature.

The visionless can't see further than their toes, muchless to undertake a project like the AFHP. The rhetoric of Winston Jordan is a reflection of the PNC unableness, unwillingness, and visionless to provide clean energy to it's citizens; if realized, Guyana would have scored competitively with first world nations on clean energy. I always believed that every leader has the same goal and aspiration to complete with what is good and economically viable for one's country, but I was wrong.

US $1 Billion dollars it would cost to generate a measly 165 MW of power. This would have been another goadie left behind by Jagdeo along with Skeldon sugar factory, The Marriot, the fiber optic cable, One Laptop, etc. Just another get rich quick scam for the PPP. 

Amaila Falls Hydroelectric project's estimated cost per kilowatt is indeed higher than the median costs for worldwide existing hydroelectric power projects because of mitigating factors such as remoteness of the project, difficult access, transportation, conveying the large components to the project site, etc., etc..

However, information shows that the initial expenditure can be recovered in about 30 years.

It must be noted that hydropower projects last for more than 100 years.

Guyana can pursue the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric project independently, preferable under the proposed BOOT option.

The other alternative is for Guyana to join Brazil, which is considering a joint-venture large scale hydropower project in Guyana. In this situation, Brazil will be the owner and operator of the project.

Why should we buy a hydro plant for twice the price that everyone else is paying just because we can eventually pay it off? Would anyone buy a house for twice the price because they can eventually pay off the mortgage in 30 years? That is stupid reasoning. Go with the Brazil option that we can afford or find other available options that are much cheaper. Pumping the natural gas from the Exxon well should be explored further.

Demerara_Guy posted:

Govt’s reasoning for halting Amaila project lacks veracity – Jagdeo

July 13, 2017, http://www.inewsguyana.com/gov...cks-veracity-jagdeo/

Opposition Leader Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has taken Finance Minister, Winston Jordan to task over comments he made at a recent public event about the Amaila Falls Hydroelectricity Project (AFHP), which he says lacks veracity and does not confirm to logical reasons for halting the project.

Although there were concerns about some technical issues with the project, Jagdeo explained that these were dealt with. An evaluation found that a reservoir could have been constructed to facilitate the continuous flow of power, in the event the dry season stepped in.

1. Indeed, there are always concerns in the preliminary settings, planning, approval, implementation, etc. stages.

2. While the main stem on which the dam is to be built does not have the needed flows, diversion of flows from another stream would have augmented the needed requirement for the project.

3. Diversion of flows from other stream to augment flows on the main stem is not new; as there are projects worldwide which have this feature.

Feasible in some situations. In this case, the Potaro would have been a more viable option. Of there course there is one intrinsic problem. Burnham had started a Hydroelectric project there so even though it would have been the better choice, it would have seemed like a continuation so that would have been out of the question. As far as I know the water table in that area is not conducive to tributary flow as a main component.

GTAngler posted:

Demerara_Guy posted:

Govt’s reasoning for halting Amaila project lacks veracity – Jagdeo

July 13, 2017, http://www.inewsguyana.com/gov...cks-veracity-jagdeo/

Opposition Leader Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has taken Finance Minister, Winston Jordan to task over comments he made at a recent public event about the Amaila Falls Hydroelectricity Project (AFHP), which he says lacks veracity and does not confirm to logical reasons for halting the project.

Although there were concerns about some technical issues with the project, Jagdeo explained that these were dealt with. An evaluation found that a reservoir could have been constructed to facilitate the continuous flow of power, in the event the dry season stepped in.

1. Indeed, there are always concerns in the preliminary settings, planning, approval, implementation, etc. stages.

2. While the main stem on which the dam is to be built does not have the needed flows, diversion of flows from another stream would have augmented the needed requirement for the project.

3. Diversion of flows from other stream to augment flows on the main stem is not new; as there are projects worldwide which have this feature.

Feasible in some situations. In this case, the Potaro would have been a more viable option. Of there course there is one intrinsic problem. Burnham had started a Hydroelectric project there so even though it would have been the better choice, it would have seemed like a continuation so that would have been out of the question. As far as I know the water table in that area is not conducive to tributary flow as a main component.

Tumatumari hydroelectric project on the Potaro river was built around the 1950's primarily for the gold mining operations.

It was closed in the 1960's and then put into operation between the mid-1970 to mid-1980 and then left basically into non-operation.

This is a small power plant with a capacity to generate, at a maximum, approximately 2MW.

Burnham did not start the project, but had ideas to revive the project.

The project would have generated power for immediate local needs.

Demerara_Guy posted:

GTAngler posted:

Demerara_Guy posted:

Govt’s reasoning for halting Amaila project lacks veracity – Jagdeo

July 13, 2017, http://www.inewsguyana.com/gov...cks-veracity-jagdeo/

Opposition Leader Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has taken Finance Minister, Winston Jordan to task over comments he made at a recent public event about the Amaila Falls Hydroelectricity Project (AFHP), which he says lacks veracity and does not confirm to logical reasons for halting the project.

Although there were concerns about some technical issues with the project, Jagdeo explained that these were dealt with. An evaluation found that a reservoir could have been constructed to facilitate the continuous flow of power, in the event the dry season stepped in.

1. Indeed, there are always concerns in the preliminary settings, planning, approval, implementation, etc. stages.

2. While the main stem on which the dam is to be built does not have the needed flows, diversion of flows from another stream would have augmented the needed requirement for the project.

3. Diversion of flows from other stream to augment flows on the main stem is not new; as there are projects worldwide which have this feature.

Feasible in some situations. In this case, the Potaro would have been a more viable option. Of there course there is one intrinsic problem. Burnham had started a Hydroelectric project there so even though it would have been the better choice, it would have seemed like a continuation so that would have been out of the question. As far as I know the water table in that area is not conducive to tributary flow as a main component.

Tumatumari hydroelectric project on the Potaro river was built around the 1950's primarily for the gold mining operations.

It was closed in the 1960's and then put into operation between the mid-1970 to mid-1980 and then left basically into non-operation.

This is a small power plant with a capacity to generate, at a maximum, approximately 2MW.

Burnham did not start the project, but had ideas to revive the project.

The project would have generated power for immediate local needs.

Wasn't there a larger project started that would have provided enough power for all of Guyana? The foundation was built but nothing more. Early 80's.

GTAngler posted:

Wasn't there a larger project started that would have provided enough power for all of Guyana? The foundation was built but nothing more. Early 80's.

Just a proposal for the proposal known as -- Upper Mazaruni hydroelectric project with the main purpose to generate energy for the then bauxite operation at McKenzie and power to related places/residences in the area.

Primarily, access works were done but nothing materialized for this plan.

GTAngler posted:

Wasn't there a larger project started that would have provided enough power for all of Guyana? The foundation was built but nothing more. Early 80's.

There is no project that can supply power to all of Guyana.

There are proposals which can provide power to certain areas in Guyana.

There is no know hydroelectric power source for the Essequibo area.