Sithe Global commits to public consultation on impacts of hydro project

Mar 23, 2011 News

Sithe Global, the US-based energy company executing the Amaila Falls Hydro Project yesterday committed itself to a public consultation to discuss the environmental and social impacts of the project.
The company has released the updated Environmental and Social Impact Assessment Report (ESIA) on the project to be constructed in west-central Guyana.
“The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment is a key element of our project development process. We look forward to consulting with interested communities and our partners to take advantage of their valuable input,” said Senior Vice-President at Sithe Global, Rafael Herz, who oversees the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project.
The ESIA was prepared by Exponent, Inc., an internationally recognised environmental and social consulting firm, with support from JGP Consultoria e Paricipacoes Ltda., an environmental consulting firm from Brazil, with extensive experience in the Amazonian rainforest.
The study was commissioned following approval granted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Guyana based on the previous Project Environmental Impact Assessment completed in 2002 and updated in 2008.
The ESIA can be found online at www.amailahydropower.com and printed copies will be available for review at the EPA Office in Sophia; the Amaila Falls project office at 233 Lance Gibbs Street, Queenstown, and at the National Library on Church Street.
The ESIA report provides stakeholders with: detailed information on the project’s proposed development; a description of the baseline social and biophysical environment; a comprehensive analysis of potential project impacts, and a management plan containing mitigation/compensation measures to ensure compliance with Guyana and international safeguards.
According to the company, the ESIA presents the benefits of the project to the people of Guyana, which include creating a dependable, renewable energy source for Guyana, reducing both long-term energy cost and exposure to oil price volatility, achieving major reduction in carbon emissions, lessening the reliance on imported oil to power fossil fuel energy sources and providing significant enhancements to transmission and communications infrastructure.
“The Amaila Hydropower Project has the potential to play an important role in Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy by providing an alternative to fossil fuel use and which, if properly developed, will reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions,” David Singh, Executive Director of Conservation International Guyana is quoted by Sithe Global as saying.
“In addition, Conservation International is committed to working closely with the project partners to advise on how environmental impacts can be minimised.”
The Project Site is situated in a remote location, about 200km southwest of Georgetown, at the confluence of the Amaila and Kuribrong rivers. It will consist of a new 165MW hydroelectric facility, access road and 270km high voltage transmission line to deliver electricity to Guyana Power and Light (GPL)’s network for distribution.
Expected to operate in excess of fifty years, the Project will be transferred to GPL at no cost, 20 years after construction.
With the release of the ESIA, Amaila Falls Hydro Inc will begin a second round of consultations to engage potentially affected communities in the region, including conservation, development, and Amerindian NGOs, government officials and the general public.
According to the company, these discussions are part of an ongoing process to ensure the natural resources of the country, as well as traditional land use and cultural resources, are protected.

Map shows the Amaila Falls Project Site and the trail to the electricity sub-stations in Linden and Georgetown.

During the mobilisation phase, areas to the site to be occupied by temporary works will be cleared and leveled and this would be an estimated 115 hectares. An area will be developed for housing, feeding and supporting an estimated 700 construction workers.
Herz said that the amount of greenhouse gases that will be released into the atmosphere as a result of the project would be about eight percent of what is now released through the burning of fossil fuel to generate electricity.
According to the ESIA, the location of the hydro project and the planned route of the transmission line and access roads do not coincide with any protected areas or conservation units. In addition, the ESIA states that there are no known cultural or archaeological sites that are of historic interest in the study area for the project.
The location of the project, according to the ESIA, consists of natural forests with no human occupation, mining or forestry concessions or Amerindian designated lands.
During the social baseline survey, it was determined that some members of the communities of Kopinang, Chenapau, Campbelltown/Princeville and Menzies Landing may occasionally use or travel through the area of the hydro facility.
In the transmission line and access road segment between the dam site and Linden, population density is very low and most of the land area is covered by forests. There are two settlements in this area – Kaburi and Butakari.
According to the ESIA, no communities will be displaced at the hydropower site.