Singh awaits approval for wind farm
By Alva Solomon
AS Government pursues its Green renewable energy plans, Total Energy Solutions Inc, the company which proposed the Hope Beach Wind Farm project, is anxiously awaiting the green light to operationalise the multi-million-dollar investment.Businessman Lloyd Singh, proprietor of the company, told this newspaper at the Sophia Exhibition Complex last evening that the project is ideally suited for Government’s plans to pursue its Green Development Strategy (GDS), but there is, regrettably, some hesitancy in embracing the project.
He said he had received the go-ahead for the project under the PPP administration, but that administration was also hesitant to embrace the project at the time.
“I believe that it has to do with if it (the project) can push the type of energy in reality”, Singh said. He noted that the US$70 investment is the alternative in this period of transition to a green economy.
Total Energy Solutions is proposing full financing of the project.
As regards the research done on the project, Singh said, as much as 15 years ago, wind energy was seen as a viable solution to fossil fuels. “Research can tell you that this is needed,” Singh said.
According to the company, there is a 69KVA power line near Hope Beach, and all the systems as laid out in its plans are ready for connectivity. The project schedule for the installation and operation of the wind farm is approximately one year. According to the company the turbines’ production and delivery will take some six months after proposed signing of the contract.
The foundations and construction of the wind farm will take some three months. Freight and transportation of the turbines and other equipment will take another three months, while the installation of the equipment will take approximately two months.
A month later, the farm can connect to the electricity grid with stable power.
As regards the wind availability, Singh said that the previous administration had concerns about the wind fluctuating in the Hope Beach area. But according to him, the area at Hope is ideally positioned. Trade winds are the prevailing pattern of easterly surface winds found in the tropics, the company said. The wind blows predominantly from the northeast in this hemisphere and strengthens during the cold weather. At Hope Beach wind power is always constant.
The company said the Hope Beach Wind Farm is a renewable energy investment opportunity which supports the energy plans of the Government. It can produce an installed capacity of 26 megawatts of power. In total, it can supply 10% of the energy needed for the Demerara Interconnected System of the Guyana Power & Light.
As regards the economic benefits, some 150 persons will be employed in the construction phase, should the project materialize; while 20 persons can gain full-time employment after installation. In addition, a direct benefit for the green initiatives is the large sums the country can receive as income for carbon credit, while at the same time millions of dollars will be saved by not generating power from fossil fuels.
Late last year, the Government, through Public Infrastructure Minister David Patterson, indicated its no- objection to reviewing the project, which was aimed at ensuring it meets the required criteria.
In January this year, Minister Patterson told the newly installed Board of GP&L that the greening of the country must also be among its focus area. The board, he said, will be tasked with transitioning to alternative energy needs.
While he noted that the Government’s plans include the creation of a 26-megawatt wind farm, Minister Patterson said that GPL is expected to be a part in the realisation of this goal.
