“Other” interests expressed in Amaila Falls, possible new project design

“Other” interests expressed in Amaila Falls, possible new project design – Dr. Luncheon

Aug 30, 2013 News

By Keeran Danny

Though the current design of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project may be dead, the idea of garnering renewable energy from the Amaila Falls is still with Government, particularly since multilateral and bilateral sources have expressed interest.
Cabinet Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon made this disclosure during his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing at the Office of the President.
According to Dr. Luncheon, more stakeholders in the current design of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project have indicated their withdrawal.
“For all intents and purposes that project with that specific design is dead,” he said.
In early August, Sithe Global, the developer of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project, withdrew because of the lack of parliamentary consensus on moving the project forward. Questions remained inadequately answered with respect to the final cost of the project, the cost consumers would endure when the project was completed, the country’s indebtedness and the project’s sustainability.
According to Dr. Luncheon, whatever small windows of opportunity that were mooted to exist appear less and less likely to be available to the stakeholders to resuscitate the project with its current design. However, he is optimistic that renewable energy and its use in Guyana are not dead.
“This observation, this commitment had been made and reemphasized, reiterated by the President and members of the Cabinet of Guyana.
“Amaila itself would not be allowed to succumb to the Opposition’s hatchets and their machinations. Already interest has been expressed by multilateral and bilateral sources in redesigning a project that would utilize our hydropower potential, specifically at Amaila Falls, to keep alive our dream, our thrust for renewable energy playing a transformative role in the lives and economy of Guyana,” the Cabinet Secretary said.
While not wanting to disclose those that expressed interest, he stated that it is not a secret.
“Until with the utmost finality this project is laid to rest, I think those who have expressed an interest in moving forward with alternatives; I think that their expressions of interest would be understood to be conditional, and on that basis… and although I am patently aware who has and the level of interest, I think let us wait awhile before such disclosures are made.”
He emphasized the less likely resuscitation of this project because of the Opposition (A Partnership for National Unity)’s “intransigence that reveals itself in their resort now to explanations and excuses for their dastardly act in destroying this initiative”.
In addition, Government would not be meeting the Opposition to discuss the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project.
According to Dr. Luncheon, Government has made multiple documented efforts at engaging the Opposition over all aspects of the project.
“We can’t help but feeling that further engagements to resuscitate… to inject life into this project, is a useless proposition. We can’t help but feel that way…I can’t imagine us meeting heretics like those under the current circumstances and I believe that is a sentiment shared not only by the Administration and Cabinet, but by our stakeholders, who also have sought audiences with this same opposition on this same project.”