Georgetown, Guyana
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – to all media
July 4, 2025
WALES GAS TO SHORE PROJECT
David Patterson – Chairman AFC
The latest sage surrounding the PPP’s flagship project, the Wales Gas to Shore project, further confirms that this project was poor planned, poorly executed and will result in the biggest failed project in the history of the country.
The country can recall that this project was launched, with the greatest of fanfare at the State House in the presence of the diplomatic crop, in April 2021 – at a total price tag of US$900M and a completion date of September 2024.
On April 30, 2021, the Alliance for Change warned the country that the project proposed by the PPP was not economically, technically or environmentally sound or sustainable, the promises reduction of US$0.05 per MW was based on “voodoo economics” – we further urged the PPP to conduct further detailed studies before the country is saddled with the largest ever PPP white elephant project.
Over the last four years, instead of exercising caution, the PPP has recklessly ploughed ahead with this project, completely disregarding all warning signs, launched personal attacks against any citizen or political parties who dared questioned what was plainly oblivious to entire nation, a project that was failing.
The projected final cost for this project has risen from US$900M to over US$2.4B and climbing, an increase of over 170%, the completion date has slipped from September 2024 to 2026, more than two years delay with the same listed project deliverables – 300MW of electricity.
Over the last four years, the PPP has changed their promises made to the country, at the launch in 2021, they promised electricity rates would be US$0.05 per MW, two years later that promise was changed to “will cut electricity bills in half” to the current promise – on completion, the project will “reduce electricity bills”.
The project has been subjected to two international arbitrations to date, an additional claim is rumored to being prepared, it has now been confirmed that the joint venture partnership constructing the project will be dissolved – further extending the two years delay.
In 2021, the PPP sought to justified that this project was urgently needed, since the electricity demand was slated to peak at 407MW by 2025, a figure that the AFC challenged as inflated and unrealistic, and simply a figure used justify the project. Currently the current peak demand in estimated at 220MW, almost 50% below this projection.
The AFC, acknowledges the need for improved power generation to meet the country’s demand, however we maintain that this project has been poorly designed and executed, to ensure that the country receives value for money, immediately after September elections, we will conduct an full audit (financial and technical) of the project, and with the help of qualified resource personnel, seek to ensure that the final project will deliver to the nation a workable power solution.
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