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Modification works to start by November month end
Skeldon sugar plant woes…
Designs to modify the flaws at the US$181M Skeldon sugar plant would be completed this month-end, says Paul Bhim, Chief Executive Officer of Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo). A South African firm, Bosch, is contracted to a tune of US$130,000 to design the modifications that are needed for the plant.
Bhim disclosed that by next week materials to execute the modifications will arrive in Guyana. But physical works to the plant will begin by November month-end and conclude before the first crop in 2013 begins.
The Skeldon sugar plant
The executive assured that though the plant has its flaws, the factory is operational and sugar is being produced but not at its desired capacity.
It is the hope that when all adjustments to the plant are completed the Skeldon Sugar estate would be fully operational.
It was reported that around US$8M ($1.6B) will be needed to fix the problems with the plant.
The estate was commissioned in August 2009, and was hailed as the boon to the survival of the sugar industry. However, the factory has been plagued by numerous problems and has not been able to function as was intended.
The South African firm is tasked to design the modifications of three main aspects of the factory: the bagasse plow (the feeder system, that leads to the boiler), the conveyor system and the condensate tank.
According to Bhim, no decision has been taken as yet to correct the problems with the punt dumper.
The establishment of the factory was part of a modernisation plan by GuySuCo that was not achieved. The project involves expanded cane cultivations, the establishment of a refinery, and the co-generation of electricity for the national grid.
The factory was constructed with a combination of self-generated funds and loans from the Caribbean Development Bank, the People’s Republic of China and the Government of Guyana. The Project Engineer was Booker Tate, UK Ltd and the Contractor was CNTIC Ltd.
The Skeldon estate was designed to produce 110,000 tonnes of sugar per annum. In 2010, production was 33,237 tonnes and in 2011, production was 29,410 tonnes.
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