Kissing goodbye to the deep-water harbor

Sep 03, 2023 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Kaieteur News – Guyana has been hearing about a deep water habour for almost 30 years. The idea was first broached in the Guyana 21 Plan which was developed by a private businessman.

The PPPC attempted to throw cold water on the idea suggesting that persons close to the PNCR had already acquired up lands close to the proposed location of the deep-water harbor. But the PPPC has never produced a shred of evidence to establish this fact.

But the real impetus for the construction of a deep-water harbor came at the turn of the century, and did not originate in Georgetown. The idea of the deep-water harbor was developed as part of the Initiative for the Infrastructure Integration of South America (IISA), as part of the plans of the Union of South American States (UNASUR).

It was only after the idea was floated within IISA that the PPPC government began to parrot it. And it even found its way into the PPPC’s Manifesto for the 2006 elections.

But very little was done to advance work on this. The Jagdeo government had neither the resources nor the wherewithal to advance a project of this scale. And without the interest by Brazil, it probably would never have emerged.

Providing a route to the sea for imports and exports to and from North Brazil has always been the prime motivation for this project. The deep-water harbor was to Brazil what the Panama Canal is to the United States. The post PPPC government of 2011 tried to resuscitate the idea and linked it to the proposed Road to Brazil and the construction of a container terminal, all aimed at supplying the landlocked markets of Manus and Roraima.

Guyana’s economy has always been too small to justify having a deep-water habour. Even with the production of oil, the inland economy is still producing too little to justify a deep-water harbor.

But the PPPC’s financial gurus have never been blessed with this foresight. Talk about a deep-water harbor created the right sound bites and the illusion of future economic transformation. Little did the masses know that Brazil has since moved on from this project, just as how they will move away from the pipe dream of the IDB and Irfaan Ali about creating an energy corridor between Guyana, Suriname and Brazil.

The original proposal was to develop a deep-water harbor with multiple berthing facilities.  It would have also seen the construction of a dry dock and the creation of a special industrial economic zone.  The government of India reportedly did a study to identify a suitable location. The location chosen was at the mouth of the Berbice River.

Following the leak of information about the proposed location, interest emerged in lands close to where the proposed deep-water harbor would be located. A proposal was even made for the construction of an oil refinery on Crab Island, near to where the Berbice River Bridge is located. Amazingly, this was before oil was discovered in Guyana.

There were even reports of persons interested in lands near to where the posed deep-water harbor was to be located. It would be interesting to know whether the PPPC allocated lands to anyone in that vicinity since the plans were hatched for a deep-water harbor. It is now known that certain bigwigs in the PPPC have acquired lands, some vicariously, near to where the major development is proposed for the stadium at Palmyra.

CGX which has been doing drilling in Berbice has acquired lands for its oil operations and has hinted at plans for a deep-water port, not a harbor, in the area. Infrastructure for this facility is reportedly being established.

A deep-water port however is not on the same scale as a deep-water harbor. Jagdeo has confirmed as much during his most recent press conference. But it is also known that the government has been in talks with the United Arab Emirates about the development of port facilities since the UAE has considerable expertise in this area.

What all of this suggests is that in the short-term and medium-term there is not going to be any investment in a deep-water harbor. And if CGX is building a deep -water port, one has to ask whether there will be still be space in the Berbice area for a deep-water harbor.

In any event, the deep-water harbor was always a pipe dream of Jagdeo. Since it was intended to facilitate large vessels to and from northern Brazil, the development of the harbour was always going to be dependent on whether the Brazilians were interested. That interest has evaporated.

All the oil in the Stabroek Block is not going to be enough to create conditions to justify a deep-water harbor in Guyana. There is no need to bring the oil onshore for export. It is presently and will be in the future be exported offshore.

Guyanese, and especially Berbicians, therefore can kiss goodbye to the idea of a deep-water harbor. Despite all the talk over the years, no serious plans were ever laid for such a facility. It was all mumbo-jumbo.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this newspaper and its affiliates.)

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• businessman, Goodbye, Guyana, Peeping Tom, PNCR

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