AMBASSADOR of the European Union (EU) Peter Cavendish has described Trinidad and Tobago as a prime location for generating renewable energy through wind power.
“We all have to sell TT as a sweet spot for green energy,” he said. “The country’s potential for green energy is exceptional. If you have the natural capital and the human capital, it has got to be made to work.”
He said the EU is doing its part to promote TT as a clean-energy spot.
Cavendish spoke at the UNDP’s Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA) forum on progress in renewable energy and energy efficiency at the Trinidad Hilton on Friday.
Cavendish said TT’s southern border has the perfect conditions for wind-power generation.
“In the south of this country, between Trinidad and Venezuela, there is a wind funnel where it is believed the wind energy on a scale of one-five is about 3.5. Just recently the government put in lidars (light detection and ranging sensors), which are lasers that measure particles that pass above them. Up to 300 metres they could measure the wind strengths.”
He added that the Galeota Port, at the southeastern tip of Trinidad, is also perfect for providing access to platforms for wind turbines.
“So you don’t have to re-engineer the port,” he said. “There are also a lot of oil and gas rigs that can be repurposed to put wind turbines on top of them.”
He also said TT’s geographical position is beneficial.
“This country is south of the hurricane belt, so when you put these wind turbines in, there is much lower insurance risk.”
He noted that while Trinidad has enormous potential for wind energy, installing the infrastructure could cost a significant amount.
“To bring this online would take some tens of billions of dollars, but the price of green energy, especially green hydrogen, will be internationally determined. Therefore, development and commercial bank operators will co-operate to put in wind platforms.
“Because the sums of money are so large we are not only talking to the European Investment Bank, we are talking to IADB and CAF. We wish to start this off, the technology is there, we just need to know the science then we need to get the money together.
He said a project to instal wind turbines could take three-four years optimistically, five-six realistically.
Cavendish said Europe has plans to be carbon-neutral by 2050 and has spent €1 billion of development funds on energy projects alone.
“The EU initiatives are aimed at mobilising European investment technology and expertise to strengthen critical infrastructure around the world and prioritise renewable energy and energy efficiency,” he said.
He said aside from collaborating with the Government and other partners on installing a commercial solar park in Piarco that provides four per cent of the airport’s energy needs, the EU installed 12 solar panel systems in different areas.
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