APNU on Friday said the government must accept responsibility for the repeated delays and additional expenditure associated with the Wales gas-to-energy project.
Speaking at the party’s press conference, APNU Member of Parliament Sharma Solomon said questions about penalties against the contractor could not be separated from the government’s selection and preparation of the project site.
“The biggest penalty should go to the government,” Solomon contended.
He blamed inadequate planning and the extensive soil-stabilisation work required at Wales for contributing to the failure to meet the project’s original completion date.
The power plant and natural gas liquids facility had initially been scheduled for completion in December 2024. That deadline was subsequently revised several times, and the government has said initial electricity generation is now expected before the end of 2026, with the entire 300-megawatt combined-cycle facility becoming operational in 2027.
Project head Winston Brassington previously disclosed that 1.65 million cubic metres of sand, along with substantial quantities of loam and crusher run, had to be used to stabilise the site. The delays and associated expenses led to a dispute between the government and the Lindsayca/CH4 joint venture.
In February, Stabroek News reported that the project would not reach full operational capacity until mid-2027. The government has maintained that it remains committed to delivering cheaper and more reliable electricity.
APNU Leader Aubrey Norton said his party had previously called for a comprehensive feasibility study before construction began.
“It is their action without a proper feasibility study that has generated this problem for us,” Norton charged. He said large public projects should be based on technical and scientific assessments rather than decisions being made during implementation.
Solomon also questioned when consumers would receive the promised 50% reduction in electricity tariffs. President Irfaan Ali had announced that the reduction would be introduced before the end of 2025, but that deadline passed without the nationwide cut.
Kiskadee Watch reported last week that Ali did not provide a new deadline when questioned about the reduction. The PPP/C’s 2025 manifesto linked the promised tariff cut to completion of the gas-to-energy project.
The offshore pipeline constructed by ExxonMobil has already been completed but remains awaiting the power plant and natural gas liquids facility at Wales.
The project has also attracted scrutiny over its total cost. Former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran recently estimated that it could eventually cost as much as US$2 billion, while the government has disputed suggestions of uncontrolled cost increases and has said its portion of the project would not exceed US$1.1 billion.
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