ALTech ENERGY

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 e...

Over the years with the increase in population, the demand and needs for electrical energy has also seen an exponential growth. Since electrical power is constantly used in the daily lives of citizens , without it, life as we know it will not exist. In order to get electricity to our jobs and homes the electricity grid is used. The electricity grid is an electrical power system network made up of the electricity generating plant, the transmission lines, the substations, transformers, the distribution lines and the consumers. In Trinidad and Tobago, we have an interconnected national grid system which transports the electricity from the power plant to the consumers and is totally controlled by the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC). T&TEC purchases electricity from independent power generators and then sells it to consumers at commercial or residential rates. It is illegal to access the electricity grid without obtaining necessary permissions from T&TEC, ...

You are probably wondering how is it possible to have solar power both day and night if all we have in Trinidad and Tobago is approximately 12 hours of sunlight a day. Over the years talks of renewable energy went from murmurs to whispers to full conversations as declining oil, gas and coal reserves negatively impacts the world.  In T&T, with the abundance of sunshine available, solar power seems to be the most plausible type of renewable energy for the twin island. The most popular way to generate electricity from the sun is through the use of solar panels. Solar panels also known as photovoltaic (PV) panels, which are made of photovoltaic cells that use photons from sunlight to excite electrons, causing them to move, producing electricity.  Electricity is basically a flow of charge which is carried by free flowing electrons through a conductor such as copper. Solar panels, contrary to popular belief, does not operate on the heat coming from the sun. The hotter the...

If the Government of Trinidad and Tobago (GOTT) is to be taken seriously about its commitments to achieving 10% renewable energy production by 2021 then we must all get behind them and make sure it is not just “empty words”. Trinidad and Tobago’s electricity consumption in the year 2014 was approximately 866 MWh. In 2016, the largest electricity consumer, Arcelor Mittal, closed its factory which greatly reduced the amount of electricity the power generation companies needed to supply. Due to this the electricity to be produced by renewables to make up the 10% of the nation’s power has also significantly decreased making it easier to achieve. There are many various technologies available that are relevant to Trinidad and Tobago such as wind, solar and biomass that can generate power but the GOTT has chosen to explore the potential of a ‘waste to energy’ power plant. There has been a serious problem in the way we dispose of our waste in Trinidad and Tobago. The landfills at Fo...