enough water for personal use and for export for over the next five hundred years. And yet there are still areas in Suriname, where residents have no access to safe and clean drinking water. But even in urban areas there are people with no regular water or brown, rusty colored water from the tap. According to the company their so-called Rainmaker can surely be used here. “Suriname is definitely interesting for Dutch Rainmaker, there are just no thorough studies on suitable locations or potential partners,” said Hans Krielen, Business Development Manager at Dutch Rainmaker. Hydrologist Sieuw Naipal, associated with the Anton de Kom University, knows several where the special wind turbines could be placed. Naipal: “I see application possibilities in Galibi and Coppenamepunt. According to the hydrologist only Galibi has access to brackish groundwater. “Especially during the dry times of the year, the water supplies are dire. Moreover, the atmospheric conditions are favorable.
Galibi is certainly not waiting for the arrival of the Frisian windmill. Captain Ricardo Pané van Christiaankondre immediately reacts rejecting. “No, we have had bad experiences with windmills. A few years we have had two windmills here to generate energy, but they were quickly broken. The wind proved to be too strong for the mills.” His voice betrays a strong aversion to any kind of windmill whatsoever . An important argument for Pané for not wanting any Rainmakers are current plans to improve water supply in Galibi. Pané: “We are currently working on a water supply project with the Belgian municipality of Koksijde and the Domestic Development Fund. That project should begin this year. It is time Galibi gets a good water supply. For many years we are dealing here with drinking water problems and it looks like that will come to an end.”
It remains uncertain if the Frisian Rainmakers will be shown at the Suriname horizon someday. The government would have to set up an investigation into the possible options for such expensive windmills in areas such as Galibi or Coppenamepunt. For now the Frisians will wait quietly on an invitation from Suriname to discuss the possibilities for Rainmaker-systems.
