Various features of modern Skeldon sugar factory being tested

Georgetown, GINA, March 15, 2008.

Government’s vision for a modernized and developed sugar industry led by the flagship factory, which is nearing completion at Skeldon, Corentyne, Berbice is closer to becoming reality as emphasis is currently being placed on preparing for the eventual operation of the factory.

            At present, various components of the factory’s operation are being tested individually as part of efforts to ensure that the systems and facilities put in place can function as intended. The testing exercise started last month and based on progress reports, the activity has so far indicated great success.

This was emphasized by Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud during his visit to the factory today where he witnessed several areas of operations being tested. He was accompanied by a team of officials from agencies such as the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), the Region Six Administration, the Ministry of Agriculture and the construction company, China National Technology Import and Export Corporation (CNTIC).

It is anticipated that the current testing exercise will be completed by April paving the way for the factory’s entire operation to be tested to ensure that it has the required sugar producing capacity.

Minister Persaud said, “Once these tests are completed, I think it will allow the engineer and the technical staff to look at the situation and then plan in terms of commissioning the entire factory and having it in use.”

It was noted that although the factory is behind schedule, due to several issues which were anticipated earlier, it is expected that the testing exercise will continue to be positive and will allow for the factory to commence operation in time for the second crop so that there would not be much output loss.

Initial operations will commence with a targeted capacity of 250 tonnes of per hour while it expected that this amount will be expanded to 300 tonnes per hour in 2009 and eventually the factory will reach its 350 tonnes per hour benchmark in 2010 in a 135 grinding day.

Another area being given priority as part of the preparations to commission the factory is ensuring that the human resource elements are in place with both local expertise and external assistance, particularly as it relates to the facility’s management.

It was pointed out that different options are being considered to ensure that management of the factory is done in a manner that is in accordance with the multi-million dollar investment made in the project.

 “What we have here doesn’t exist in the Caribbean, and it doesn’t exist in many parts of the world, this is relatively new technology, hence, we have to make great efforts to ensure that the quality of management is high and the quality of technical staff is not compromised,” Minister Persaud stated.

More than 30 Guyanese are currently undergoing technical training where they gaining hands-on knowledge through the testing exercise. Several of these persons recently returned from overseas where they were being trained and exposed to operations at a similar company.

The factory is one of the key elements of the Skeldon Sugar Modernisation Project (SSMP) which represents an investment of close to US$200M being made by Government to revitalise the sugar industry in Guyana.

Other components include construction of the co-generation plant and agricultural development that includes cultivation of additional lands to ensure adequate supply of cane to the new factory which will have a capacity to crush approximately 1.2 million tonnes per year, producing more than 100,000 tonnes of sugar annually.

            The contract for the construction of the sugar factory and cogeneration plant was signed between GuySuCo and CNTIC in June 2004.

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