15 waterfronts, shore bases granted approval for development in 2021

The Sea and River Defence Board in 2021 granted approval for the development of 15 major waterfronts and shore base projects to service several sectors including oil and gas.

Secretary to the Board, Jermaine Braithwaite said on Monday that a number of the applications spoke to the development of wharf structures, providing services not necessarily for the oil and gas industry, but shipping services generally.

The implementation of those projects, he said, are being monitored by the board and other agencies such as the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD).

“Majority of these projects are being implemented by the private sector, some which are in collaboration with international companies to develop facilities to provide services for oil and gas and other navigational services,” the secretary said.

“We have been monitoring the progress of implementation and particularly of interest to the board are the aspects of the developmental works related to flood defences. Of course, other regulatory agencies are involved… but where the flood defences component of the project is concerned, we have been conducting our reviews and are quite satisfied with the level of adherence to our requirements,” he further added.

Braithwaite said several companies have already begun engaging the board, as well as other agencies to develop more waterfronts.

“We envisage, based on the trend we have been seeing, that there will be a number of new projects likely to be established during this year and in fact, some companies have already started to engage not only our board, but other regulatory agencies, on proposals that they want to implement,” Braithwaite said.

Some of the companies to receive the greenlight so far include NRG Holdings Inc. and CGX Energy Inc. The others will be disclosed at a later date.

In December, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali commissioned a bridge that links the ongoing construction of the Berbice Deep Water Port, at the mouth of the Berbice River by CGX Energy Inc. The facility is being built on 30 acres of land on the eastern bank of the Berbice River, adjacent to Crab Island. NRG Holdings Inc. back in September, 2021, was granted environmental permit from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to construct ‘Port of Vreed-en-Hoop’ facility” at Foreshore, Plantation Best on the West Bank of Demerara.