‘Engineering marvel’ as US$9M Kumu Hydro Plant commissioned

The energy landscape of Region Nine has been further bolstered with the commissioning of the 1.5 megawatt (MW) Kumu Hydropower Plant – an engineering marvel that will bring an end to the electricity generation woes of communities in Lethem and its environs.

Located at Kumu village in Lethem, the 1.5 MW hydropower plant was constructed to the tune of US$9 million by Sri Lankan company, Vidullanka PLC. In addition to the power station, some 1.84 kilometres (km) of transmission lines were installed to distribute the electricity.

Speaking at the commissioning ceremony on Friday morning, Head of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), Dr Mahendar Sharma, noted that while the construction of this hydro facility was not easy given the terrain, the end product is an engineering marvel.

“You have water from top of the mountain, you capturing it a little bit, you putting it in this pipe or this penstock, and you bringing it down here…There is a box-looking thing and within it is a turbine and the water, because it’s not pressurised, is turning a wheel. And that wheel is connected to a shaft, which is connected to a generator, and you have power… Here you have right before you, an engineering marvel – the idea of hydropower,” the GEA Head posited.

Meanwhile, Deputy Mayor of Lethem, Indira Singh, stated that Lethem has been grappling with limited power supply – something that will be fixed with the new hydro station.

“With Lethem’s growing population – new housing schemes being developed and old ones being extended, it is only logical that we will need more energy sources so this 1.5 MW hydro station is a needed convenience and a significant developmental milestone for the township of Lethem and its environs,” she stated.

In addition to addressing the power woes of Lethem, the Deputy Mayor added that the Kumu Hydropower Plant will also create jobs for residents within the communities that it will serve.

Similarly, Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, also outlined to residents how this project, which is aimed at bridging the energy divide in the country, will enhance their lives.

“It means you can have longer hours of electricity… You can study for longer hours [with] the GOAL scholarships …with electricity and with internet connectivity, you can study in the nights.”

“So, what this means (also), what is happening on the coastland can now be achieved by you here in the hinterland… You’re part of the development that is taking place in Guyana, and that is what we set out to do five years ago… We set out to bring the development to every village, every community, every corner, every nook and cranny of Guyana,” PM Phillips stated.

With this 1.5MW Kumu Hydropower Plant, Region Nine’s total generating capacity has gone up to 5.2 MW. Currently, the peak electricity demand in the Lethem township is 2 MW.

The Kumu Hydropower Plant, along with the recently rehabilitated Moco Moco hydro project, is a US$12.85M initiative funded by the Islamic Development Bank and falls under the Guyana Government’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS 2030).