Latest update March 29th, 2024 12:59 AM
Dec 02, 2022 News
Kaieteur News – An Environmental Permit for the Government of Guyana’s 300 Megawatt (MW) Natural Gas Power Plant will be issued in a few weeks’ time.
This was the information shared with Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) David Patterson yesterday in the National Assembly as Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat responded to questions submitted to the House on October 18, last.
Bharrat in written responses to Patterson regarding the issuance of a Permit for the project explained that not only has ExxonMobil received approval for the pipeline and Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) Plant, but government is expecting a separate approval for the power plant in another few weeks.
The minister said, “Just last week the first Environmental Permit for the Gas to Energy Project was approved and signed by all parties. This permit covers Development of Natural Gas Transport Pipeline, Materials Offloading Facility and Natural Gas Liquids Plant, offshore Guyana and Region Three, onshore Guyana.”
Meanwhile, he added, “The second permit on the Gas-Powered Plant and the Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) Plant will be issued in another few weeks.” He was keen to note that this permit is being granted by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with technical assistance from other various public and private stakeholders. In July, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo told Kaieteur News that the government had submitted an application to the EPA for the power plant aspect of the project.
He explained that the regulator will decide whether an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) will be required for the power plant. He said, “That is for the power plant and the NGL facility, it has been submitted so they are in the process of reviewing it. I don’t know precisely where they are at this point in time, but I know it has been submitted and I can get you the details later as to where it is now.”
The Environmental Protection (EP) Act is clear at Section 21(1) that “No person shall- (a) construct, alter, extend or replace any plant, structure, equipment, apparatus, mechanism, or thing that may discharge or from which may be discharged a contaminant into any part of the natural environment except under and in accordance with a construction permit issued by the Agency…”
This therefore means that even the GoG is required to seek a construction permit from the EPA before it rolls out any developmental project that can affect the environment. After vetting the government’s application and project summary, the regulator will then determine whether an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) would be necessary to flesh out the various impacts that can be caused from the facilities. It must be noted that in addition to highlighting the likely associated impacts, an EIA also outlines measures that will be taken by a developer to avoid or respond to any emergency as a result of the venture. The EPA has not yet published its decision in this regard.
In the meantime, the regulator has already given ExxonMobil the green light to pursue its aspect of the job. The approval was granted on November 25 and will allow for the construction of a natural gas pipeline, as well as a Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facility and supporting infrastructure.
While many stakeholders had raised concerns regarding the safety of the project, the EPA in its decision to grant the Permit said the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) have been declared acceptable, by the Environmental Assessment Board (EAB) in accordance with section 11(13) of the Environmental Protection Act, Cap. 20:05. “The EPA is satisfied that the project can be conducted in accordance with good environmental practices, and in a manner that avoids, prevents and minimizes any adverse effects which could result from the activity,” it said.
The GTE project will entail three components inclusive of the pipeline, NGL facility to treat and separate the gas and a power plant to generate some 300 megawatts of electricity. The project has a planned life cycle of at least 25 years. Its main objective is to reduce the cost of electricity to 50 percent of what it is. Exxon’s pipeline so far is expected to cost US$1.3 billion, while Government anticipates the other two aspects would cost an additional US$700 million.
THIS IDIOT TELLING GUYANA WE HAVE NO SAY IN THE 50% PROFIT SHARING AGREEMENT WE HAVE WITH EXXON.
Mar 29, 2024
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