Prime Minister Patrick Manning on Wednesday officially launched the construction of a power station for the controversial aluminium smelter plant at La Brea calling it an important development in the generation capacity in the country's industrialisation thrust.“A mere cursory glance at what is going to take place points to the need for additional electricity. We have our first aluminium smelter, slated to begin construction later this year, at a cost of approximately US$600 million,” he said.
The plant will be the largest in the country when it is completed by 2011 with an expected capacity of 720 megawatts.
Manning also announced other mega projects including:
- A US$1.2 billion integrated iron and steel complex to be undertaken by Essar of India
- A US$2.5 billion gas to polypropylene project
- A US$75 million maleic anhydride processing facility
- A US$1.2 billion petrochemical facility for the production of melamine and urea ammonium nitrate, construction of which is now underway.
He dismissed those concerns saying the people who have been protesting the construction of the Alutrint Aluminium Smelter Plant will object no matter what adjustments are made.
“Let me make it clear if there is one project in which there have been very widespread consultation before the project started it is the aluminium smelter and power plant that goes with it,” Manning told reporters.
Manning drove past protesters who shouted abuses at him. “Go from here Mr Manning.
You lied to us. You betray us,” one of them said. He told reporters that the people who were there with placards were "the regular anti-smelter crowd", adding that they didn't represent the people of La Brea.The protesters included environmentalists Gary Aboud of Fishermen and Friends of the Sea, Dr Wayne Kublalsingh, Dr Peter Vine, Anil Roberts and Dr Chatlal Healy Singh.
No comments:
Post a Comment