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Dear Editor,

A reader might be misled by the Government’s current enthusiasm to start construction of this small dam (by global standards) in the remote Kuribrong River; SN 01 November ‘Cabinet gives China Railway ‘no objection’ for Amaila hydro project’.  The Cabinet appears to have been persuaded by Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo that the Norwegian advisers, Norconsult, were entirely enthusiastic in the 49-page review report dated 12 December 2016. Norconsult’s review is actually hedged around with numerous cautions.  It seems ill-advised for the Cabinet to press ahead with a scheme to address the baseload electricity demand of the coastland by a hydropower dam that may not have enough water. Norconsult wrote (page 21) ‘We recommend that the programme for continuous water flow measurement is resumed as soon as possible and before a new main sponsor would be ready to take the front seat; 2-3 additional years of continuous flow data would provide a more reliable basis for an updated energy production simulation and thereby reduce the risks …’

Note – BEFORE a new main sponsor, not after. And that is just one of the cautions by Norconsult.  Did the Cabinet conduct a review with some of our famous Guyanese engineers before calling for construction bids?

Sincerely,

Janette Bulkan

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@Django posted:

Cabinet’s hydro project ‘no objection’ may be ill-advised

Dear Editor,

It seems ill-advised for the Cabinet to press ahead with a scheme to address the baseload electricity demand of the coastland by a hydropower dam that may not have enough water.

Sincerely,

Janette Bulkan

The main stem for the Amaila hydroelectric project indeed does not have adequate flows to meet the total needs for the project. However, flows will be diverted from another stream to augment the flows for the project.

Diversion of flows from another stream to meet the designed flows on the main stem for projects are in operation for many projects in Canada, US_of_A, Europe, Africa and elsewhere.

FM
@Former Member posted:

The main stem for the Amaila hydroelectric project indeed does not have adequate flows to meet the total needs for the project. However, flows will be diverted from another stream to augment the flows for the project.

Diversion of flows from another stream to meet the designed flows on the main stem for projects are in operation for many projects in Canada, US_of_A, Europe, Africa and elsewhere.

Do you know if there is a 2-3 additional years of continuous flow data to provide a more reliable basis for an updated energy production simulation and thereby reduce the risks? That's what Janet is asking.

Mitwah

Janette Bulkan should be aware of the mathematical and statistical methods to estimate long-term flows in streams for the development of projects -- especially those streams with a short period of records.

FM
Last edited by Former Member
@Former Member posted:

Janette Bulkan should be aware of the mathematical and statistical methods to estimate long-term flows in streams for the development of projects -- especially those streams with a short period of records.

Where is the data and the calculations to show that there will be a continuous flow?

Mitwah

Information on flows on the various water bodies are available from the Hydrometeorology Department, Guyana government.

Calculations on the flows for the projects are in the records for the design company, the project and also by the owners of the project.

Flow calculations for these projects are in the range for 1:100-year; 1:1000-year; to 1:10,000-year flood-flows.

That means that the design flows will equal to or exceed the probability of 1; 0.01; to 0.001 in any year.

FM

Succinctly ---

Available information from various reports; Sithe Global/Flip Motilal with the company name as AFHI - Amaila Falls Hydro Inc., - withdrew from the project; it became dormant and all agreements, etc., lapsed and have no further importance nor relevance since around 2015.

Hence, current status is that the Guyana government is pursuing the development of Amaila Hydroelectric Power project with the current entity - China Railway Group Limited.

FM
Last edited by Former Member
@Former Member posted:

Succinctly ---

Available information from various reports; Sithe Global/Flip Motilal with the company name as AFHI - Amaila Falls Hydro Inc., - withdrew from the project; it became dormant and all agreements, etc., lapsed and have no further importance nor relevance since around 2015.

Hence, current status is that the Guyana government is pursuing the development of Amaila Hydroelectric Power project with the current entity - China Railway Group Limited.

So you are saying Sithe Global Licence is no longer valid ? any idea why the government list the project on a sought loan from China ?

Django
Last edited by Django

Amaila Hydroelectric Project will be built on the BOOT option by the China Railway Group Limited.

BOOT process, China Railway Group Limited pays the cost to ...

B-- Build

O - Own

O - Operate

T - Transfer

In about 20 to 25 years after operation, Amaila Hydroelectric Project will be transferred to the Guyana government.

FM

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