Minister Visits La Gogue Dam

Minister for Environment Energy and Climate Change Mr. Wallace Cosgrow, visited the La Gogue dam project this morning, to inspect and evaluate the progress on site. The storage capacity of the existing dam will be raised by 60% which will contribute toward the increase of water supply in the country.

The Minister was accompanied by the Chief Executive office of the Public Utilities Corporation (PUC) Philip Morin and also the Chairperson and members of the PUC Board, Mr. Eddy Belle, alongside representatives from the Ministry from the Environment Department, PUC, as well as representative of Sinohydro as the main contractor on the project.

The project which was expected to complete by the end of May 2020 is still in progress. Due to some difficulties encountered during the process of implementation, has contributed towards the postponement in the completion of the project. Such is now the site preparation is scheduled to complete by the end of the year, though there are certain technical concerns which has just been discovered upon the development which will lead to completion by mid next year 2021.

“We appreciate how much work has been done, we are really satisfied that the project has reach this level, alongside several professional, as such a massive labor requires so much effort to work on such an important project, which at the end this is essential to our country for the upcoming decades”

He added “As per the fact we have encountered various delays in the process this has caused some substantial financial increase in the cost of the project, though we must ensure that we have a solid dam which will not cause any trouble in the near future”.

Minister Wallace Cosgrow said that the main contractor on the project is the Sinohydro, noting in the beginning there were some arrangement in the contract between the Pick-up, plant and Truck Hire Association (PPTHA), unfortunately they could not provide certain heavy equipments needed for the project nevertheless there are certain equipment being provided by PPTHA, and this has caused major delays in the project.

The Chief Executive officer for PUC, Mr. Philip Morin declared that the project has reached 90% completion, there has been various matters which has hindered the project to note negotiating contract between the PPTHA, to add in 2019 there has been numerous rainfall on site, finally the Covid-19 Pandemic has held back expert from China who was supposed to assist in the installation of the PVC membrane, such said the pronounced all comes with a financial cost.

“The Completion of the Dam project will increase water storage capacity to 60% an additional 600,000 cubic meters of water with a 45 meters depth. The main earth work will be completed by the end of the year. Due to some technical concern which needs to be managed, will require another 6 more months hence by mid next year the dam will be filled to maximum capacity”.

This project is financed by the African Development Bank (AFDB) partly, and to the Seychelles Government through PUC.