By Jomo Paul
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Emphasis was placed the development of Hydropower and the abolishment of fossil fuels on Thursday, September 17 when several specialists sat to discuss the issue at the Marriott Hotel.
The for a, organized by the European Union, is seen as a precursor to the Paris 2015 Climate change talks where world leaders are expected to radically push for more to be done against the issue.
On the local side, the call for Guyana and other countries in the world to move away from fossil fuels and pursue renewable sources of energy in a green economy was resounding clear.
Several participants, including those on the panel, pushed the notion that Hydropower could act as pacifier for climate change and its effects.
Presidential Advisor on Climate Change, Gary Best, who was one of the panelists, said that it is important the discussions focus on the solutions to the issue rather than pointing figures to who may be responsible..
“Until technology reaches the point where burning fossils will result in little emissions into the atmosphere, our best bet is to move ahead with alternative energy,” said Best.
He noted too that one of the more formidable energy solutions for Guyana would be hydropower. Dr David Singh, the Executive Director of Conservation International, also one of the panelists, supported the call for Hydropower as a solution to Guyana’s climate change issues.
“Nature based solutions are the best solutions…I do feel that hydropower must be seriously considered even from now. I don’t think we can wait,” said Dr Singh.
Dr Paulette Bynoe, head of the University of Guyana School of Earth and Natural Sciences, posited that hydropower should not be looked at in isolation.
She said that the solution also lies in other forms of renewable energy such as solar and wind power.
“If you are going to talk about hydro, you also have to factor in the issue of droughts. We get a lot of droughts…the regional climate models tell us that we are going to have a drier Caribbean,” said Bynoe.
The only large scale hydropower projected started in Guyana was scrapped by the new APNU+AFC government with Finance Minister Winston Jordan declaring that it would be criminal to proceed with the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project.
This he said will total US$2.6B over the 20 year period, according to the power purchase agreement and does not include Guyana’s contribution of at least US$160M comprising $45M for road, $80M through equity and $US45M that will have to be taken from the Inter -American Development Bank (IDB).
vernley, let me say with both hands up in the air as high as I can possibly can; I am no expert by any stretch of the imagination. Many countries across the world are going hydro power. China, the world’s largest producer of hydroelectricity, operates two of the 10 biggest hydroelectric power plants in the world, including the world’s largest Three Gorges project. The benefits far out way the environmental set backs which would be quite minimal.
Next door, Brazil already generates 74% of its electricity from hydro power, and possesses the second largest hydroelectric project in the world. Hydroelectricity provides the bulk of Venezuela’s electricity supply.There are other countries in Latin America that use electricity generated from hydro power. Why is this administration so adamant in not re-starting the hydro power project? Political spite, short shortsightedness, economic incompetence—- the answers.
I REST MY CASE
Mr sly d’ont be fooled by what the EU is saying,they know that the hydro kills your resources in the water and the suroundings of it , tubines is better and i know this well because this is part of my work in France where i live. In France they d’ont use hydro ,in french Guiana they had to remove the hydro and return to fossel fuel and the list is long, also i saw the damage it dose so the present government knows what they are doing.
The previous administration, against international business practices, disclosed vital,sensitive information to the then opposition with regards to Amalia hydro project. It was stressed that Guyana would not have been indebted once the construction was completed and operational. It is out of political spite and shortsightedness, economic incompetence, that this current administration pulled the plug on this vital transformation project which would have seen massive economic progress and physical changes across the country. Such projects do not come cheap and the longer it takes for Guyana to start any hydro construction, the more expensive it would become. .
Pulling the plug on that project is nothing more than political. That project was scrapped because it was conceived by the previous administration. Noticed how many PPPC conceived projects have already been scrapped. APNU/AFC have so far, not indicated what major project that they would embark on despite all the talk (*CHEAP) when they were in the opposition..
THIS IS NOT NEWS. WE KNEW IT SINCE THE 1960’S . BURNHAM TRIED IT AND FAILED WHEN HE TOLD THE DONOR COUNTRIES TO PUT THEIR MONEY “WHERE THE MONKEY PUT THE NUTS.” AS A RESULT MILLIONS OF US DOLLARS WERE WASTED AND WE BECAME SO MUCH POORER FOR THE ATTEMPT. SO MUCH FOR THE BIG AND BAD KABAKA. THE PPP/C GOVT STARTED A NEW PROJECT– AMAILA–BUT THE COALITION KILLED IT . SO WHAT NONSENSE IS GARY BEST, POLITICAL ADVISOR TO GRANGER, NOW SAYING ?
Now APNU men will say hydroelectric project is the solution because the government is run by US and British mission.