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T&T aiming to power 30% of energy needs with renewables- Prime Minister
Kaieteur News – Trinidad and Tobago recently signed an agreement for the construction of a 112.2 Megawatt (MW) solar project on the island, which when completed will be known as the largest in the English- speaking Caribbean; but the nation does not intend to end its progress on transitioning to renewable energy there.
T&T Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Rowley during the Energy Conference
The solar project which will soon commence construction, will power eight percent of the twin island’s electricity demand, but to help meet the United Nations (UN) goal of access to affordable, reliable, modern and sustainable energy, T&T will be pushing for 30 percent of its electricity generation to be powered by renewables.
This is according to the Trinidadian Prime Minister, Dr. Keith Rowley. During the opening of the twin island’s three-day Energy Conference last Monday, he told conference delegates at the Hyatt Regency, Port of Spain, Trinidad that the Solar Project is scheduled to commence in the first quarter of this year, with full operationalization of the Project by fourth quarter 2024.
To this end, Rowley noted, “It is the Government’s stated objective to increase power from renewables to meet 30% of the country’s requirements.” He said he has already challenged the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, in a whole of Government approach, to move quickly to bring on more renewable energy projects on stream.
The Prime Minister said that a review of the country’s power requirements has projected peak demand to increase from the 1400 MW in 2022 to 1600 MW by 2032. During this period the Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) of two of the country’s major independent power producers representing 40 percent of the country’s installed generation capacity are due to expire.
As such, Rowley explained, “We therefore have an opportunity to achieve much of the target of 30% of power from renewables.” The Prime Minister was keen to note that the transition to renewables is not without its challenges.
“Prices for wind and solar power increased nearly 30 percent in the past year due to global supply chain issues, significant price increases for components and increases in labour costs in producing countries, reversing a decade of cost declines. Another hurdle, as encountered by the Solar Parks Project, is the competition with prevailing low cost of electricity in Trinidad and Tobago,” he said.
The Prime Minister added, “While our primary focus is the optimum development of our hydro-carbon resources, we cannot ignore the initiatives being taken globally to develop low carbon economies.”
Kaieteur News had reported that three agreements were signed on January 6 with the country’s project partners- BP, Shell and Lightsource BP, for T&T’s first grid-scale renewable energy project.
“The project partners signed an implementation agreement with the Government of Trinidad and Tobago, power purchase agreement with the state utility company, T&TEC, and a final investment decision,” the T&T Energy Ministry said in a statement.
The cost of the arrangement was not disclosed by the Government. It however reported that construction is estimated to take 10 months. The project will be constructed at two sites, one in Brechin Castle, near the Point Lisas industrial estate, and the other will be built in Orange Grove, near Trincity.
In Guyana, the Government has been chasing the development of gas for electricity generation, even as the World races towards the implementation of renewable sources of energy.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in its 2022 Report titled: “Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives: Shaping our Future in a Transforming World”, has made it clear that power generation through solar has become far cheaper than which is being reported.
- challenges, Conference, Dr. Keith Rowley, Electricity, energy, gas, MW, Solar, T&T, Trinidadian Prime Ministe
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