HPS gives his take on Granger’s statement on continuing pursuit for hydropower
Written by Gina Webmasters, Published in News, Georgetown, GINA, March 18, 2015, Source - GINA
The recent announcement by Opposition Leader David Granger about continuing the quest for the construction of the Amaila Falls Hydro Power Project if his APNU+AFC coalition gets into office was put to Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon today.
He succinctly said that “A rose by any other name is still a rose’, so the Amaila Falls Hydro Power a´la a PPP/C administration a´la APNU, I don’t know what is the AFC’s position, if it is sustained from the debacle from the 10th Parliament; it is to my view, some convergence”.
Dr Luncheon recalled that Blackstone and Sithe Global held out that when the government and the political opposition were “at one”, they would feel more confident in moving forward with this investment. The PPP/C, he added, and the major opposition party seem to be saying that they both are in favour of going ahead with the Amaila Falls project.
The political has repeatedly cut the budgetary allocation for the project.
Dr Luncheon reiterated the statement made by President Donald Ramotar that before the end of this year, construction will begin on the transformational project.
Described as Guyana’s largest and most ambitious project to date, the Amaila Falls Hydro Power Project is closer to becoming a reality. This was revealed on December 31, when President Donald Ramotar gave his annual New Year’s address to the nation. He announced then that, “Norway has transferred earnings from our partnership of approximately US$80 million to the Inter-American Development Bank to fund part of Guyana’s equity share in the project. This is a significant accomplishment.”
The president who described the Amaila Falls Hydro power Project as the flagship of the Low Carbon Development Strategy, emphasised that government will continue to invest heavily in the physical infrastructure, “that is so critical to creating jobs and improving livelihoods.” The realisation of the transformational project, he said, is high amongst government’s priorities, “to ensure the achievement of more affordable and more reliable energy.”
President Ramotar said that for too long, Guyanese have looked forward to harnessing the country’s vast hydropower potential, and that “The time for realising this dream is long overdue”. Unreliable and unaffordable electricity, he explained, continues to be the biggest impediment to investment and job creation in Guyana.
The Amaila Hydropower Project involves the construction of a hydropower plant in the area of west-central Guyana, where the Amaila and Kuribrong rivers meet. Electricity produced at the plant will be delivered to Guyana's capital, Georgetown, and its second largest town, Linden, by an electric transmission line. Once operational, approximately $9 billion will be saved annually.