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Hope Beach 25Mw Wind Farm project moves closer to reality
A US$42M wind farm project is moving rapidly ahead with just a few hurdles to overcome, including
Lloyd Singh
environmental ones.
On Friday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a notice in Kaieteur News giving persons 30 days to file objections.
EPA has determined that the Guyana Windfarm Inc, a project slated for Hope Beach, East Coast Demerara, is not required to submit an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). “The applications have been screened to assess the potential environmental impacts and it has been determined that an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) be conducted for the above-mentioned projects by an independent body for submission and approval by the agency,” the notice said.
The ESMP will detail specific measures and processes to be undertaken by the company to ensure that the proposed projects are implemented in an environmentally sound and sustainable manner.”
In June, Prime Minister Sam Hinds, disclosed that Government is lending its support behind the ambitious 25-megawatt project which could become operational in as little as a year after construction starts.
The developer, through GoldWind of China, is planning to install 10 turbines, each capable of producing 2.5Mw.
GoldWind is rated at least third in the world in the establishment of wind-farms. Already, Hinds said, Republic Bank has offered to support the project with a US$2M loan.
The Hope Beach project is a Build, Own, Operate, Transfer (BOOT) model with a useful life of about 20 years.
“Let us get Hope Beach Wind-Farm in place quickly. Let us turn our electricity-generation away from petroleum fuels, thereby saving ourselves a good quantity of money and doing our bit to reduce climate change,” Hinds said in calling for support.
In 2000, the Caribbean Development Bank financed an engineering survey of the potential of wind along the coast for the large-scale production of electricity. Delta Caribbean of Curacao which had established a wind-farm in Curacao – had shown interest. But the company could not close financing and pulled out in 2006.
An artist’s impression of the 25Mw Wind Farm at Hope Beach, East Coast Demerara.
Guyana Wind-Farm Inc is partially owned by Lloyd Singh, the main principal in International Pharmaceutical Agency Group, a supplier of drugs to Government.
In February, it was disclosed that a feasibility study has been completed and the environmental hurdles have all been crossed for the project.
Government and the principals of the project have been meeting in recent months with the aim of signing a power purchase agreement that will see the state-owned Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) purchasing electricity at a cheaper rate.
Guyana wants additional, cheaper power as several new housing schemes and a number of new industries continue to spring up, spurring an increased demand for power. The administration has been pinning hopes on a 165-megawatt (MW) hydro electric project at Amaila Falls, Region Eight to meet demands.
However, that project has been temporarily shelved after the US developer, Sithe Global, pulled out last year. This was after the National Assembly remained divided on key legislation that was critical to the funding of the US$840M-plus project.
The project is still very much alive but will take several years to be realized. In the meantime, the demand for power continues to rise.
According to Singh in February, it is estimated that power will be sold between US0:13 and 15 cents per kilowatt to GPL. Currently, the power company, largely using the cheaper, heavy fuel oil, is generating at around 18 US cents per kilowatt.
“We are even looking to Lethem, Region Nine area, for a possible similar project and awaiting government’s approval to conduct a feasibility study. The Essequibo Coast is also not being ruled out.”
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