–to discuss ‘hydro-power’ link

BRAZILIAN President, Lula da Silva, is expected to visit Guyana next week to meet with President Dr. Irfaan Ali and his team for discussions on a potential ‘hydro-power link” between the two neighbouring countries.
President Ali made this announcement while delivering the feature address at the opening of the Guyana energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo at the Marriot Hotel, on Monday.

He was at the time discussing the much-anticipated Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP) and the 165 megawatts of power it is expected to produce.
“With Brazil President Lula coming next week, we’re discussing even the integration of more hydro in Brazil and creating a transmission link for power to be distributed into northern Brazil,” President Ali said.

The AFHP programme was shelved following the APNU+AFC taking office in 2015; however, the PPP/C administration since entering office in 2020 has sought to breathe new life into the project as the party strives to achieve energy security through an energy mix.

Several companies, including Brazilian, Austrian, and North Korean investors, have expressed interest in bidding to construct the project.

Brazil and Guyana have been expanding their energy cooperation, with several significant developments.
In 2022, Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro during an official visit to Guyana agreed to broaden their energy cooperation.

Additionally, the Heads of State of Brazil, Guyana, and Suriname have taken steps towards forging an infrastructure that would better share the neighbouring South American countries’ energy and natural resources, including discussing projects such as new roads, bridges, and energy projects that could reshape the region’s economy.