‘It’s not Amaila or death!’ – Pres. Granger

Jan 20, 2017 News

…Govt. looking to pursue green energy; aiming at ‘satisfactory mix’
President David Granger posits that Guyana’s hope at becoming a ‘Green State’ does not solely depend on the Amaila Hydropower project. According to the President “it is not Amaila or death.”

President David Granger

Granger made his position known during the recent televised programme The Public Interest. The Head of State was asked to comment on a recommendation made in the final report of the future of the Amaila project done by Norconsult AS of Norway.
The report had recommended that government should take a second look at the Hydropower project which was intended to produce 165 megawatts of power.
The President said that his government has examined the project from every point of view and has realised that there are other forms of generating sustainable energy instead of depending on one single project.
“All we’re asking is that Norway should look at a menu of measures for generating green energy, and I think we can reach an agreement. So it is not Amaila or death, it is green energy, and we feel that we have been able to put a satisfactory mix to the government of the Kingdom of Norway.”
According to Granger, Guyana can have several projects because there are about 100 hydropower sites on which hydroelectricity can be generated.
“Rather than depend on Amaila we can focus on half a dozen sites. Amaila is very expensive and I don’t think that the expectation that we bring down the cost of electricity would be fulfilled.”
In addition to hydroelectricity, the Head of State said that there are other forms of renewable energy in a number of places which can be exploited.
“You know, places like the Rupununi and the Berbice Savannahs, these are huge grasslands with very high levels of sunlight, we are looking at wind along the coast, and we feel that these other forms of energy should be put into the mix, and this is the advice which we have given to Norway.”
He added that the carbon credits which were generated under the agreement with Norway and Guyana should not be pinned down for a single project.
Granger was then asked if he believes that having a reliable source of sustainable energy would help to boost investment. He said that this is a definite outcome.
“Our green strategy is not only to have a reduced carbon footprint, but to provide employment, to boost the economy, and it is also to boost manufacturing and production…so yes, we would like to see more investments.”
To advance the government’s efforts at creating a green state, Granger said that his government has invited colleagues from sister Caribbean states, some of whom are advanced in manufacturing particularly in power generation.
Further, he said that Guyanese are now beginning to understand the message his government has been propagating since getting into office. His evidence of this is the fact that at many of the opening ceremonies he has been invited to, the Chief Executive Officer of the entity always boasts about having incorporated a ‘green’ initiative into the business.
“People are proud of using energy savers, or using solar power, and this is the dynamic people are going towards. The future of Guyana is green.”
After the report on the project had been published, the Ministry of the Presidency had said that the review of the project was of utmost importance, as it provides undisputable evidence that under the current configuration, the project does not meet minimum requirements to ensure viability and longevity.
Resulting from these observations, provisions have been made to expand the scope of clean, alternative energy in the country. These considerations relate to the establishment of programmes to promote energy efficiency at a household level for financial savings to householders; budgetary allocations of almost $1B dollars for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects; the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems on the rooftops of 64 Government buildings and the installation of a large scale solar farm in Mabaruma, with smaller solar farms in Lethem, Mahdia and Bartica.

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