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Government study shows high concentrations of heavy metals to be dumped into Demerara River – US Exim Bank reveals
An artistic conception of an upcoming gas power plant in Wales
Natural gas power generation project…
Kaieteur News – The water quality of the Demerara River may be affected by the Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project being pursued by the Guyana government.
This is based on Water Quality Monitoring and Modeling ReportPrepared by Environmental Resources Management (ERM), a consultant hired by the Guyana government, the document, dated May 2024, was issued by the United States Export-Import (US EXIM) and awaits approval of a $646 million loan to finance a 300 MW power plant and natural gas to liquefaction (NGL) facility.
ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) is constructing a 12-inch pipeline to transport natural gas from the Liza Unity and Liza Destiny floating production storage and offloading vessels (FPSOs) to the West Bank Demerara development site in Wales.
According to documents released by the US Exim Bank, groundwater will supply the integrated power plant’s feed water, with a total demand of 265 cubic meters per hour (m3/hr), drawn from three wells at a pumping rate of 88.33 m3/hr per well.
The report explains that these streams will be treated to provide ultra-purified steam for turbines. As a result, the report states that the mineral concentration in the wastewater will increase, estimating that the heavy metal and mineral concentrations will be 1.27 times higher than the feedwater.
However, ERM noted that treated effluent from cooling towers and other sources will be treated as per the International Finance Corporation (IFC) standards.
According to the study, “Concentrations of iron, zinc and total heavy metals in groundwater samples exceeded the IFC guideline values. The highest parameter value compared to the IFC standard was iron, with a concentration of 42.67 mg/L, which was significantly higher than the IFC guideline value of 1 mg/L.”
Likewise, the zinc concentration was 1.41 mg/L, slightly above the IFC guideline value of 1 mg/L, while the total heavy metal concentration was 44.69 mg/L, significantly above the IFC guideline value of 5 mg/L.
“While it is assumed that all water discharged into stormwater ponds will meet or fall below IFC discharge standards, zinc and iron would be components of concern if treatment fails,” ERM said.
The government consultants concluded by explaining: “For copper and lead, metal concentrations are expected to increase by 1.91 micrograms per litre (µg/L) and 0.37 µg/L respectively at the effluent discharge point in the Demerara River (approximately 100 metres downstream of the interim MOF). For iron, the iron concentration is expected to be diluted by 0.37 µg/L near the discharge point as the final effluent concentration after treatment will be lower than that measured in the river.”
It is important to note that the water quality study results were not provided to the Guyanese public by the government, but rather through the U.S. Export-Import Bank.
The shocking revelation by the financial institution came at Guyana geologists warn The project has dangerous consequences for the country’s water quality.
Simone Mangal-Joly previously explained that the site identified by the government for the GTE project is unsuitable and is likely to pose a great risk to the country’s main groundwater aquifer.
An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing, permeable rock, rock fractures or loose material. Groundwater from an aquifer is extracted through wells. The Welsh test site is located above Guyana’s main groundwater aquifer, which provides 90% of Guyana’s domestic and commercial water.
In an exclusive interview with this publication in 2022, the environmental advocate noted: “When you look at the Environmental Impact Assessment, it says the impact on groundwater is negligible. There is no place in the world where you can build power plants, NGL plants and pipelines on groundwater without it being severely impacted. Basic common sense will tell you that over the 30-year life cycle of these highly polluting industries, adverse conditions such as oil spills put groundwater at high risk. This is our most precious groundwater aquifer. Guyana’s coastal water supply comes primarily from the A Sand Aquifer beneath the Welsh Estate.”
Geologists explain that when hydrocarbon contaminants enter a water source, they remain there permanently and are carcinogenic, making the water no longer suitable for drinking.
Demerara River water treatment costs high
As concerns grow about the impact of oil operations on the country’s waterways, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI) has said: Shakur Bakshi revealed The Demerara River is “getting increasingly polluted” and the cost to the company of treating drinking water for residents is increasing.
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