$48.8 MILLION FOR THE REHABILITATION OF PELIGRE
(Haiti Libre) -
The government of Haiti yesterday signed a contract with the French consortium Alstom-Comelex to restore the Péligre hydroelectric plant, the country's principal renewable energy source.
The Inter-American Development (IDB) Bank, the German development finance agency KfW and OFID, OPEC's fund for international development, are providing the funds to finance the three-year, $48.8 million rehabilitation contract.
The contract was signed by Jacques Rousseau, Public Works Minister, André Lemercier Georges, Finance Minister, Gary Valdemar, Director General of Électricité d'Haïti (EDH) and Alstom managers Olivier Richer and Marc-Antoine Blond at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Finance.
Under the project, Péligre will recover its original 54 MW installed generation capacity by overhauling its three turbines and modernizing its electromechanical equipment and control systems. At present the 40-year-old plant operates at a fraction of its potential, forcing Haiti to rely on thermal generators that run on expensive imported fossil fuels.
At the same time as it restores Péligre's generation capacity, state utility EdH will carry out investments to upgrade the power transmission line connecting the hydroelectric plant with Port-au-Prince as well the capital's electricity distribution network. The IDB is supporting such investments with grants totaling $32 million.
In addition, in partnership with the World Bank and the U.S. Agency for International Aid, the IDB is supporting a program to modernize EdH's technical, financial and commercial management.
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