Renewable Energy: Coming Soon to T&T


On December 8th 2017, the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries and by extension the Government of Trinidad and Tobago released a notice for local and foreign firms to express their interest in building, owning and operating renewable energy projects with installed capacity of 3MW or more. The notice overview reads, “The Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (GoRTT) has recognized that the path to sustainable development of our nation should encompass low carbon development, environmental sustainability, economic viability and social inclusivity. In recognition of the critical importance of Renewable Energy (RE) and Energy Efficiency (EE) in the drive towards sustainable development, GoRTT, through the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEI) wishes to pursue the development of utility scale power generation from renewable energy sources. The MEEI is hereby seeking Expressions of Interest from suitably qualified developers to build, own and operate renewable energy projects with installed capacity of 3MW or greater. It is intended that the implementation of these projects will put GoRTT on the path towards achieving its target of 10% power generation from RE sources by 2021. The initial RE target is 195 MW by 2021. Submissions are hereby invited from suitably qualified local or international firms with local joint venture partnerships for the design, construction, commissioning, operation, maintenance and financing of renewable energy generation projects.”

Trinidad and Tobago’s ratification of the Paris Agreement on climate change on February 22nd 2018 means that the Government has agreed to reduce cumulative greenhouse gas emissions by 15 per cent from industry, power generation and the transport sector by 2030. The submission deadline for the Expression of Interest from firms interested in the renewable energy projects was on March 8th, 2018. With expression of interests now submitted and a target set of 10% of power generation to come from renewable energy sources by 2021, it can safely be said that the age of renewable energy technology is coming soon to Trinidad and Tobago.

With renewable energy systems coming into play in the near future, Trinidad and Tobago’s electricity prices, one of the lowest in the world, can be expected to increase. However, the cost of electricity will not be increased because of renewable energy systems but due to the heavy strain on the economy from subsidizing natural gas supplied to T&TEC for electricity generation. The reduction of the subsidy would allow the government to sell the natural gas saved to foreign countries at a higher price and obtain much valuable foreign exchange. 

 The introduction of these renewable energy systems would also improve T&T’s energy security outlook. Energy security is the uninterrupted availability of energy sources at an affordable price. Energy security is usually viewed long-term and mainly deals with timely investments to supply energy in line with economic developments and sustainable environmental needs.

This increase in electricity prices is coming and energy efficiency will become very important to the citizens of T&T. It is of vital importance Trinidad and Tobago nationals educate themselves on ways of reducing energy consumption and invest in energy efficient appliances and lighting.

The time of sustainability, energy security and environmental awareness  in Trinidad and Tobago has now surely begun.
Written by: Andrew Bisnath


Location: Trinidad, Trinidad and Tobago

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Don't Waste Your Waste. Recycle

Image
Recycling of waste products is not a new phenomenon to the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. We have a number of businesses and initiatives that partake in the recycling of waste products throughout the country with some of the most popular ones being Piranha International Limited, Trinidad Recycling Limited and SWMCOL. The Environmental Management Authority (EMA) introduced an initiative called iCare to help educate and encourage citizens of T&T, especially the younger generations, to recycle. In the twin island state each person is responsible for an average of 4 pounds of waste per day. With our landfills operating way over capacity, the need for proper waste management is becoming of greater and greater importance. One major problem that is faced is the number of plastic waste that is generated in the country. Plastic waste is not broken down naturally like paper and other materials. When plastic waste reaches the rivers, drains and oceans through littering, it creates majo
Read more

Union Hall Gardens Community Clean-Up 2018

Image
On Saturday 2nd June, 2018, ALTech Energy hosted a clean-up for the residents of Union Hall Gardens, San Fernando by partnering with the local community council. The clean-up consisted of 35 volunteers with majority hailing from the Union Hall Gardens community. Volunteers from other neighbouring communities were also invited to participate as we commemorated World Environment Day 2018. Group photo of volunteers after the clean-up Volunteers were separated into various groups to target different areas within the community. They were provided with biodegradable bags and gloves to assist with the cleaning. As part of the Think Green Initiative, the trash collected was sorted into plastic, glass and general waste for recycling purposes. Volunteers filling bags with trash The Think Green Initiative is a programme for young persons to offer themselves and their expertise in a range of environmentally friendly practices as we push for Trinidad and Tobago to move towar
Read more

100% Renewable Energy is Possible: APPLE INC.

Image
During most recent Apple event in September 2018, it was announced that since January 2018, all of the electricity from their facilities worldwide are operated using 100% renewable energy. “In 2018, we reached a major milestone: 100 percent of the electricity we use at all of our facilities comes from renewable sources” The company achieved this through a combination of steps. Energy efficiency projects throughout all of their facilities were undertaken to reduce the consumption of power. Their facilities include all offices, stores, and data centres in 43 countries. From these projects they upgraded the facilities by using LED lighting, retro-commissioning building and lighting controls, and upgrading heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. They were able to reduce their energy use in fiscal year 2017 by 14.7 million kWh and 22 500 mmbtu of natural gas and thanks to energy efficiency measures implemented since 2011, they are now cumulatively saving 70 mil
Read more