Norway commits to help Guyana’s clean energy transition

Nov 18, 2016 News

-to determine Amaila’s future next year
President David Granger and Norway’s Minister of Climate and Environment,

President David Granger and Minister of Climate and Environment, Mr. Vidar Helgesen of the Kingdom of Norway following their meeting Wednesday.

Vidar Helgesen, yesterday met on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Convention in Marrakesh, Morocco, on the way forward for their forest and climate partnership.
“The cornerstones of the Guyana-Norway partnership are to safeguard Guyana’s rainforest, improve forest governance and support Guyana’s holistic green development, including the transition to green and renewable energy,” a joint statement of the two countries said.
Norway had entered a groundbreaking deal with Guyana a few years ago for US$250M that would have seen this country receiving cash to ensure that forest remains standing.
The deal expired last year with the new Government announcing intentions to seek a renewal.
However, the previous arrangement is not over yet with monies stilled owed by Norway.
Guyana is still to complete a number of requirements before a new deal is signed.
Norway has granted Guyana an extension to complete its side of the arrangements.
According to the statement, Granger used the opportunity to outline a holistic vision for Guyana’s green development. He detailed, as part of this vision, Guyana’s ambitions in the areas of climate mitigation, coastal zone management, conservation, renewable energy, biodiversity management and eco-systems management.
“My administration is committed to the establishment of the ‘green’ state and creating the institutions and the governance structures to ensure that we achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the shortest possible time. I am pleased that the dialogue with Norway is advancing,” he said.
The meeting confirmed that Guyana has kept its deforestation rate low since the start of the partnership, and is making good progress on agreed forest governance reforms and is pursuing a mix of clean energy solutions.

Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, along with the Guyana technical team during the meeting with Per Pharo, Director of the Government of Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative, at the Norwegian Ministry of Environment.

Helgesen said: “I am very impressed that President Granger’s government has decided to embark on a green economy pathway, including its commitment under the UN Climate Change Convention to eliminate its dependency on fossil fuels and move close to 100 percent renewable energy supply by 2025.
“We are proud to work with Guyana to realise its green economy vision, maintain its deforestation rates as one of the lowest in the tropics and strengthen forest governance, as well as its commitments to a green energy transition.”
President Granger and Minister Helgesen agreed to have in place, early in 2017, a work plan for detailing Guyana’s clean energy transition, including a facts-based consideration of the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project and all other possible renewable energy options.
The Amaila Falls project was a major one launched by the Bharrat Jagdeo administration.
However, the 165-megawatt, US$900M plus project which would have seen a dam built on the Kuribrong River, Region Eight, has been halted by the current administration which said it was too costly.
The Norwegian government has since launched an independent study to determine the feasibility of the hydro project.
The two countries yesterday also agreed to continue a dialogue on how to develop their partnership in the 2020-2030 period.

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