By Sue-Ann Wayow
TRINIDAD and Tobago is looking forward to having a hydrogen plant like no other in the world at a cost of US$300 million.
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley speaking at the launch of the Energy Conference on Monday said the plant would assist greatly in enhancing the green economy.
Recently, Energy Minister Stuart Young hinted at the thrust towards the use of hydrogen.
Dr Rowley said, “New investments are being readied to use renewable energy electricity to run through state owned T&TEC, to manufacture hydrogen, by a process of water electrolysis, to provide this product to ammonia plants in Pt Lisas. This major green investment has the potential generate significant tax revenues, temporary and permanent jobs as we green the economy. Upon completion, this $300 million USD will be the first green hydrogen project of its scale in the world. Not for the first time Trinidad and Tobago, in the energy sector is prepared to go where others have not gone before.”
He said the focus was now on economic recovery, and the economic slowdown resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic ensured first significant, deliberate steps towards clean energy.
Key questions included how long the pandemic will last, the shape that recovery will take, especially in light of the varied pace of vaccination rollouts, and the extent to which energy and sustainability policies are built into government strategies to restart their economies.
Dr Rowley said those questions have significantly increased the range of pathways that the local and global energy sector could follow and despite uncertainties, some things remain relatively unchanged.
For his Government, he said continued stability must be provided for citizens both in terms of the supply of energy, and revenue to the country as a secure and reliable supply of electricity throughout the country was needed as large sections of the population worked and studied remotely.
Adding that a steady stream of revenue was maximised through the use of natural energy resources and there was significant potential for natural gas.
According to the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) Global Gas Outlook to 2050, energy demand is expected to grow by 24% by 2050. Natural gas is expected to be the only hydrocarbon resource to increase its share of the global energy mix, increasing from 23% to 28% in 2050. The GECF Global Gas Outlook projects that natural gas demand is projected to rise by 50%, from 3,950 billion cubic metres in 2019, to 5,920 billion cubic metres in 2050.
“It is estimated that switching from coal to natural gas reduces carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 40% for each unit of energy output and this will play a key role in renewable power sources,” the Prime Minister stated.
He added, “The natural gas produced in T&T not only benefits the citizens of T&T by providing energy and a source of income to the country but our natural gas, which reaches destinations as varied as Spain, Puerto Rico and Canada via LNG shipments, is already playing a role in the energy transition by providing clean energy to these countries, and will continue to do so in the coming years.”
There was an opportunity to increase the penetration of natural gas within the Caribbean, which will aid in providing a clean, secure supply of energy to Caribbean countries as they transition away from sources such as coal and heavy fuel oil, he said.
Regional cooperation can be increased and countries such as T&T, Jamaica and Guyana can lead the energy transition as well as sharing experiences and learnings with other Caribbean countries.
He mentioned that last month, the National Gas Company (NGC) announced that it became a member of the United Nations Environmental Programme Oil and Gas Methane Partnership. As a member of the Partnership, the NGC will voluntarily report transparently on its methane emissions with an aim to reduce these emissions by utilising global standards for methane emissions reporting, measurement and control.
The NGC has also taken other steps to track and reduce its methane emissions, by using technology and leveraging collaborative partnerships. Some of the initiatives included the purchase of an infrared camera to detect fugitive emissions along pipelines and gas handling infrastructure.
The NGC has also partnered with a service provider based in the Netherlands called Orbital Eye that will allow the company to use 10 satellite data and algorithms to measure GHG and methane emissions from its industrial offshore and onshore assets.
Dr Rowley said, “Initiatives such as these by the NGC and by other companies within the sector will become increasingly important if T&T is to produce premium, differentiated products like “lower-carbon LNG”, where the process is made as clean as possible by reducing emissions along the LNG value chain, or offsetting the associated GHG emissions.”
Young who also spoke at the conference gave further information of the Government’s plans going forward.
And former energy minister Franklin Khan was remembered at the conference as a true patriot and champion of the energy sector.
The conference was also attended by heads of other Caribbean countries and key stakeholders.
