The second phase of the gas-to-energy project is intended to address the soaring demand for power. Notably, this was supposed to be handled in part by the Amaila Falls Hydro Project. However, due to delays with that intiative, the government has been forced to find an alternative solution. This was recently shared by Vice President, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo.
Speaking during a recent press conference, Jagdeo stated, “Phase two, in a sense, makes up for the delay of Amaila.” He elaborated that while the hydro project will still produce a substantial amount of power, the additional phase of the gas-to-energy project is necessary to meet the country’s growing demand for electricity.
“Amaila, in any case, would have produced about 160 something megawatts of power… but we may still have to go with the Amaila project, the hydro, to maintain the renewable energy mix,” he said.
Addressing concerns about the timeline for the completion of the second phase, Dr. Jagdeo noted, “We anticipate that this could be done in two years. So, it depends on when phase two can be done. We believe two years is an outside limit. So, depending on the date we start, we can kick this in or have it ready in two years.”
He emphasized the increasing demand for power in the country, which has necessitated an expansion in energy production capabilities. “The pace at which we are going and changing in this country, after phase two, we probably need more power in another couple of years. The growth in demand for power is unbelievable, every single day, we see it climbing all the time,” the Vice President stated.
This increased demand he said, is evidenced by the government’s recent move to procure a significant number of street lights to improve infrastructure across the country. “We went out to tender for about 80,000 streetlights because that has been a big demand for people in the communities in different places.
“They’re now going to be procured over the next several months, and the installation would start around the country…,” he added.
In response to a question about the potential for power exports, particularly to northern Brazil, Jagdeo clarified that the current phase of the gas-to-energy project would primarily serve local needs. “Our neighbours are in northern Brazil, but not from this project. We’d use every bit of it, all the power. If we have excess, I think we can sell it easily to Suriname or any other place, but I don’t think there will be any excess at the pace at which we’re growing,” he remarked.
He acknowledged the aspirations for future power exports, citing substantial interest from companies in Brazil. “There’s a huge demand from very serious companies that were part of President Lula’s delegation. They were discussing the energy corridor. Northern Brazil needs a lot of power and reliable power; they used to buy from Venezuela. So, the demand is there,” Jagdeo said.
While reiterating that the Amaila Falls Hydro Project remains a critical component of the government’s renewable energy strategy, the Vice President highlighted the importance of the gas-to-energy project’s second phase in addressing current energy demands and ensuring continuous development.
