Guyana must synchronize its natural gas potential with hydropower

I hate hypocrisy and I really don’t care who the perpetrator is. If it is wrong, then it is wrong. I am holding no brief for anyone, but I am a Guyanese and citizen of a country which has been among the poorest of nations on this planet for over 40 years, and described as such by the World Bank and named as a HIPC nation [Heavily Indebted Poor Country], one of only two in this entire hemisphere, along with Haiti. I now see that the United Nations is saying that as poor as we are, we should seek renewable energy methods and not pursue our natural gas potential in a report titled, “Natural Gas a good investment for Latin America and The Caribbean?”

Let’s see what the record shows. In an article “Pollution by Country 2022” published at this site https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/pollutionby-country, we see that Guyana is one of the few countries which is listed as not being a polluter of the atmosphere. Here are a few examples (we are indexed as producing a total of 3.18 tons of CO2 per capita per annum). To put this into perspective, the index of the US is 16.01 per capita/annum, Canada 15.49 per capita. It means that Guyana produces around 2 million tons of pollution per annum, compared to the US and Canada, who produces 5 times more pollution per capita, a whopping 4,712 million tons of pollution per annum from the US alone! Don’t even ask about China. Editor, China produces 10,667 million tons of CO2 per annum.

With less than one million people and over 75 thousand square miles of rainforest (I am assuming that we occupy about 8000 sq. mi, i.e., 83,000 sq miles – 8000 sq mi = 75,000 sq. mi). This jungle converts CO2 to O2, far in excess of our pollution as a nation, so we are actually indexed as zero pollutant on the map referred to above! To tell us that we must not pursue our natural gas opportunities and go for renewables instead, offends all logic! Actually, in my opinion our solar potential is not too good due to our high rainfall and very cloudy skies most of the year, remembering always that there is no sun at night! In addition, the natural gas project will in time produce opportunities for us to make our own nitrogen fertilizers, sulphur, and high density polyethylene pipes etc. as byproducts from gas refining for power generation. We have been poor for long enough, it’s time to advance. Focus on where the real pollution is coming from.

Recently, the PM of Barbados, Mia Mottley, whom I have come to respect a lot, at the COP27 World Leaders Summit, told the very UN this: “the simple political will that is necessary, not just to attend climate summits year after year and making promises, but to deliver on them and to make a definable difference in the lives of the people who the world leaders have a responsibility to serve – seems not to be capable of being produced.” Also nearly 60 years ago, Sam Ramsahoye told us that Guyana had the capacity to produce 7 megawatts of electrical power in the Mazaruni River because of the Pakaraima Mountains and our heavy rainfall. Since then, Venezuela [1969] built the Guri 10.235Mw Dam, approximately 200 miles west of us, in the same mountain range and heavy rainfall area, natural assets of this country. I wish to remind us, that part of the power generated at Guri is exported to Columbia and Brazil. Our oil will run out some day but hydropower is forever. Sincerely,

Tony Vieira