The HydroTimor weBlog

Some progress has been made for the Iralalaru project: The environmental report has been accepted by the government, and we may proceed with the planning and preparations.

It has been a long time since the project documents were presented back in 2006, so the next step now is to update some technical and financial data – including the latest hydrology data and adjusting the technical specifications, as well as updating the financial data to reflect today’s construction cost and oil prices.

You may have heard that there are some misunderstandings with regards to the construction of the project, causing one representative for the government to claim that it is taking too long to construct it, as it has been under construction since 2003. This surprises us, as the construction not yet has started, and that a lack of follow-up from the government is one reason for this. We also hear that there is a lack of political will to start construction of Iralalaru, and that the government prefers to produce power based on burning heavy fuel oil. We hope and believe these rumours are wrong, as it is difficult to imagine that the leaders of this country should prefer to develop polluting and expensive energy in favour of clean and cheap hydropower…

A team from HydroTimor presented 10 January the Iralalaru hydropower project for members of the government, in order to prepare for the decision on contract form for the construction. This is an important step, allowing preparations of tender documents to progress.

Photo: Basil Rolandsen (www.bouvet.info)

The participants to the meeting was (from left) Kjell Mathiesen (Norconsult, Chief Hydropower Engineer), Alf Adeler (NVE, Adviser), Januario Pereira (Secretary of State for Electricity, Water and Urbanisation), Avelino Maria Coelho (Secretary of State for Energy Policy), Xanana Gusmao (Prime Minister), Emilia Pires (Minister for Finance), Pedro Lay (Minister for Infrastructure), Maria Moniz (HydroTimor) and Kassius Klei Ximenes (HydroTimor).

We are preparing an info package on the Iralalaru project, to be done by Kassius Klei Ximenes from HydroTimor (photo) and Basil Rolandsen from the Bouvet Foundation.

The info package will consist of a brochure (ref the Gariuai brochure), as well as a DVD with video and supplementary information. The brochure will be finished during October, while the DVD is scheduled for late November.

This info, together with adapted video clips, will also be posted at the web site. We look forward to inform more about Iralalaru Hydroelectric Power Project, as the plans are now being finalised before tendering. Work should start next year, to be finished in 2011.