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Skeldon Sugar Factory difficulties…EFFORTS MADE TO RECTIFY PROBLEMS

Sep 29, 2008 News

…test-run will begin shortly – Site Representative

The Skeldon Sugar Factory is back on schedule as efforts were made to rectify the problems that were experienced during test runs.

Andrew Jin, Site Representative of China National Technology Import and Export Corporation (CNTIC), told Kaieteur News yesterday that re-commissioning (test runs) will begin during the early part of October, but he declined to give a firm date when this will be conducted.

Jin said that there was much discussion with all stakeholders, noting that the factory is ‘on track, and things are going according to schedule.’

He, however, declined to discuss the extent to which the problems were fixed, but said that efforts have been made to remedy the difficulties being experienced.

On September 15 last, Jin told the media that the trial run showed that there were some problems between the punt dumper and the conveyor belt, while, at the same time, difficulties have been encountered with the shredder bearings.

‘Choking’, he had said, was occurring when fresh water was pumped into the diffuser.
This same problem recurred at the second and third evaporators.

Following the discovery of the problems, an assessment was done. However, Jin declined to comment on the assessment findings yesterday.

Chief Executive Officer of Guysuco, Nick Jackson, told Kaieteur News yesterday that there has not been any official announcement of the date when the test-run will begin, but stated that, as far as he knows, the engineers at the factory are ‘on top of the situation.’

According to Jackson, the factory should be ‘running’ within a week.
During a press briefing on September 15 last, Jackson told the media that the problems being experienced at the Skeldon Factory were ‘blown out of proportion.’

While there are indeed some difficulties being experienced at the factory, Jackson said, these hiccups are not unusual for a factory of that calibre.

The difficulties being experienced at the factory were highlighted by Chairman of the Alliance For Change, Khemraj Ramjattan.

Ramjattan said that there were major component failures at the facility, a fact that has since been denied by the Site Representative.

Two days after it was announced that the factory was indeed having technical difficulties, Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud said that Guyana was examining legal options and remedies which can be enforced against CNTIC.

The minister said that fines can be imposed under the contract signed between Guyana and the Chinese company.
The fines can exceed US$5M; however, the matter is still under legal and other reviews.
Since the problems were discovered, CNTIC mobilized technical experts to bring the factory to a point of successful commission and full operation.

Following the official handover of the factory, there are three further 72-hour tests which can be carried out by the owner during the next year.   During that period, the contractor is still responsible for defects arising from those tests, despite the fact that the factory would be in commercial use.

The new factory is expected to produce 110,000 tonnes of sugar a year.

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