World Bank, Africa Region, Senior Environmental Specialist for Carbon and Environmental Finance, Ms. Noreen Beg, yesterday said following some final consultations, the bank is expected to disburse payments for small scale initiatives at Corriverton, Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne) in October.

Beg made the disclosure in an interview with the Guyana Chronicle following a meeting with Agriculture Minister, Robert Persaud at his Ministry on Vlissengen Road.

The World Bank officials interact with Minister Persaud, at right. (Adrian Narine photo)

She was accompanied by her World Bank colleagues, Natural Resource Economist, Ms. Adelaida Schwab; Carbon Credit Specialist, Mr. Manuel Luengo; and Lead Ecologist, Mr. George Ledee.
The World Bank team is here on an initial verification mission of the Skeldon Bagasse Co-generation Project under the Clean Development Mechanism, a Koyoto Protocol initiative.

Beg, declining to quote an amount, said the sum is enough to carry out some worthwhile activities.

Some of the undertakings, she said, are the training of persons in the community in different skills areas, the purchase of computers, sewing machines and books for the Corriverton Community Centre library, and generally enhancing the image of the facility to encourage children to get involved in sports.

It will also go towards payment for services chosen by the community, such as a public dispensary and garbage disposal.

“There should be enough money to do these things. It is not a massive sum, but it’s a tidy sum to do some nice things,” the Ms. Beg said.

The Skeldon Bagasse Co-generation Project is the first of its kind in Guyana and the Caribbean to be registered under the Clean Development Mechanism.

The team has already visited the new Skeldon Factory operation and made an assessment of the environmental, social and agricultural practices there.

“We looked at the operation of the factory and essentially all is going well; and we hope that by this time next year, the project would have undergone the first year of emission reduction generation to the national grid,” Beg pointed out.

Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud, at the meeting, said the grant will significantly benefit the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) and Corriverton residents.

He expressed confidence that the project, which dovetails with President Bharrat Jagdeo’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), can gain for Guyana significant incentives from the Clean Development Mechanism, anticipating inflows amounting to US$ 3 M.

The Skeldon Sugar Modernisation Project (SSMP) on May 4th, 2008, was registered with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Under that partnership, the project qualified to receive incentives from the Clean Development Mechanism of the Koyoto Protocol.

With the new bagasse co-generation plant being part of the SSMP, clean energy will be generated in keeping with Guyana’s obligation to the Koyoto Protocol, particularly article 12 of the agreement.

As a party to the Clean Development Mechanism, GuySuCo will be able to sell Certified Emission Reductions (CERs) that will result from energy generated from bagasse fuel.

The factory has already been producing electricity to the national grid and Persaud said that it will contribute as much as 15 megawatts of energy per week.