Synergy  ‘hopelessly behind time’ to complete Amaila Falls road
–  may have to outsource road works to ensure completion
CABINET Secretary Dr. Roger Luncheon said Synergy Holdings Inc might have to consider outsourcing some of the road works at the Amaila Road Project just so that the road could be completed as the project is behind schedule. Speaking yesterday at his regular post-Cabinet news conference at the Presidential Complex in Georgetown, Dr. Luncheon, who is also Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), said Government engineer Mr. Walter Willis mirrored Cabinet’s sentiments of dissatisfaction in the progress so far and explored options for the completion of this roadway.

“No effort is being spared by the Administration to get Synergy to complete according to design,” Dr. Luncheon said.

According to Luncheon, Synergy is “hopelessly behind time” and this has led to the suggestion “and maybe the demand” for Synergy to start contracting out components of this roadway so that its completion could be brought forward.

According to Project Manager of the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project, Senior Vice President of Sithe Global Group Mr. Rafael Herz, the road is a critical part of the project and having it on time and to the specifications required, is very important.
Speaking at a press conference last month, Herz said, “Sithe’s interest and collaboration with the government with respect to the road is to help as much as we can to ensure that the road does continue its path of construction with the timeline requirements and with the specifications that are needed. We are confident that this will be achieved.”

President of Synergy Holdings Inc, Makeshwar ‘Fip’ Motilall, had said there was a “little bit of a delay in the start-up of the road-works”.

At the time, Motilall had said that La Nina was “kicking butt” and this hampered the works on the ground. He said the company was on schedule for getting access through the road by August.

The Amaila Falls Hydro project site is situated in a remote location, about 200km southwest of Georgetown, at the confluence of the Amaila and Kuribrong rivers. It will consist of a new 165MW hydroelectric facility, access road, and 270 km high voltage transmission line to deliver electricity to Guyana Power and Light (GPL) network for distribution.
Expected to operate in excess of 50 years, the project will be transferred to GPL, at no cost, 20 years after construction.