Four-day extension granted for Amaila hydro proposals

The Government has extended by four days its Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP), which is expected to begin construction next year.

The closing deadline for proposals is now Thursday, September 30, 2021 and must be submitted to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board, according to an advertisement by the Office of the Prime Minister. The original RFP issued in July this year had listed the deadline for submissions as yesterday. The extension has probably been granted as the original deadline fell on a Sunday.

The government wants to have the project completed and commissioned by the end of 2025.

The RFP notes that the Guyana Power and Light’s current Development and Expansion (D&E) Plan for 2021 to 2025 projects total capacity required in 2025 as 465 MW and energy of 2,900 GWH.

The government is proposing an energy mix that will utilise both natural gas, heavy fuel oil, and renewables (hydro, wind, solar). In 2026, the government, according to the RFP, says it expects demand to be met by its lowest cost of supply, which is expected to be derived from gas (up to 300 MW), Amaila (165 MW), and other renewables and non-renewable capacities to make up any balance or serve as backup.

According to the document, the Summary of the Scope of Works entails a 165 MW installed hydro dam, plant, and related works; Transmission Line and Structures: 270 KM double-circuit 230 KV from Amaila to Sophia; 230 KV Substations in Linden and Sophia; Creation of a 23 square kilometre storage reservoir; upgrades and completion of roads and bridges to the site (85 KM new; 122 KM existing); and assumption of all geo-technical risks including guarantees relating to the structure of the reservoir, dam, and transmission towers.

The Government has asked that proposals submitted by prospective developers be made under both the BuildOwn-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) and Design-Build-Finance (D-B-F) models.