Guyana Hydro-Power Construction Likely to Start by Year End

Georgetown,

Guyana (GINA)

The Caribbean should be pushing for renewable energy because of its vulnerability to fossil fuels, Head of State, Bharrat Jagdeo, has said and in this regard and despite challenges, Guyana would be pursuing renewable energy in the form of hydropower, one way or another. Guyana Power & Light Inc. Chairman, Winston Brassington, noted that it is likely that construction of the Amaila Falls hydropower plant will start by year end.

The project which has the capacity to provide over 140 megawatts of electricity is to be located along the Kuribrong River in Potaro, Region Eight. Guyana’s fuel import bill is US$350 million, and the President has said that the development of renewable energy sources is needed to increase energy security and maintain macro-economic stability.

Guyana to build Hydro Power Plant

GEORGETOWN, Guyana – The government of Guyana has given its commitment  to pursuing renewable energy in the form of hydro power. Guyana’s Power and Light Inc Chairperson, Winston Brassington has stated that construction of the Amaila Falls Hydro power plant is anticipated to begin by year’s end. The project, which has the capacity to provide over 140 megawatts of electricity will be located along the Kuribrong River in Potaro, Region Eight and will be managed by New York based project developers Sithe Global Power, LLC. Sithe is also willing to provide equity in the sum of US$100M.

Guyana’s Amaila Falls Hydropower Project is part of a larger effort to revolutionize the country’s power generation infrastructure. Guyana’s President Bharrat Jagdeo indicated that Guyana needs to secure approximately US$600M for the construction of a hydro power plant which can provide electricity to the entire country. He further indicated that another US$50M may be needed for the creation of systems and transmissions. In total, the cost of construction and implementation is approximately three times more than that required for fossil fuel investment; however, even though a major undertaking, the construction of the hydro plant is expected to be fully subsidized by the international community since is it a renewable energy project.

Guyana’s PMI Chapter

GEORGETOWN, Guyana- The Board of the PMISCC formally inaugurated its Guyana Committee which will be the focus group for Project Management in that country. The mandate of the Committee is to create awareness of the profession, create a professional network of PMPs (Project Management Professional), promote educational programmes in project management and develop the PMP credential. The Committee used the opportunity to host a Project Management Conference as part of its official kick-off. The venue was Le Meridien Pegasus and the theme was “Project Management: Methods and Practices for Sustaining Business and Development”. There were 115 professionals representing public and private sectors as well as Donor Funded Agencies in attendance. The discussion areas presented were Bid Preparation, Project Leadership, Improving IT Project Management for Regional Transformation, Cash Flow Management for Construction Projects and Recognizing the Need for Project Management in Guyana.

The President of the PMISCC, Mr. Michael Charles, kicked-off the proceedings and the keynote address was given by the Honorable Minister Jennifer Webster of the Ministry of Finance who pledged her support for this initiative and hailed project management as an important mechanism which can promote and sustain Guyana’s economic, social and infrastructural development. She further encouraged the private sector to pick up the mantle of project management as this can lead to their entry into regional and global markets. She closed by calling for private and public sector partnerships to capitalize on Guyana’s human resource capability

The PMI Southern Caribbean Chapter (PMI SCC) is the leading non-profit advocacy organization
and professional network for the project management profession in our region and is a chartered component of the Project Management Institute (PMI). There are currently over 550 members representing the construction, contracting, engineering, consulting and various other industries. 60% of our members are PMI credential holders. PMI is the global membership association for the project management profession with more than 269,000 members in over 171 countries and 251 Chapters around the world. PMI sets professional standards, conducts research, provides access to information and resources and empowers practitioners to become catalysts for organizational transformation