Sithe Global walks away from Amaila hydro project

Sithe Global walks away from Amaila hydro project

Just two days after the National Assembly approved the Hydro Power Bill without support from the Opposition party A Partnership for National Unity, the major developer of the project Sithe Global has informed the Government of Guyana that is walking away from the project.

The move by Sithe Global is the latest twist in the hydro electricity project. Prime Minister Samuel Hinds on Friday afternoon told News Source that he had heard about the Sithe Global decision but was still awaiting an official report by the company. The company had indicated that it would not have been going ahead with the project unless there was national consensus which included support from all of the parliamentary political parties.

The APNU has not budged from its position that there was need for much more information on the project before it could throw any support behind it. The Opposition group had also called for an updated feasibility study  and for the costs of the project to be examined carefully.

The other Opposition party, the Alliance For Change had earlier voted against the project but later voted with the Government to have the Hydro Power Bill returned to the House and the party also threw its full support behind the project saying that it was the “patriotic” thing to do. The Chairman of the Alliance For Change, Nigel Hughes is the Company Secretary for the Amaila Hydro Power Inc., which is the company that was set up to overlook the project.

Former Chairman of the Guyana Electricity Corporation, Consultant Raymond Gaskin said news of Sithe Global’s decision to withdraw from the project could only be described as “good news”. “Hallelujah, Hallelujah, this is good news and it means everything will have to be done over and done over the right way and for a whole lot less”, Gaskin said.

He had always sought to explain that the cost attached to the project was exorbitant and made no sense for Guyana and taxpayers.

News Source understands that President Donald Ramotar was briefed about the decision by Sithe Global and he is expected to make an official statement on the latest development.

 

 

 

 

 

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