The Energy Chamber is delighted to announce that David Cassidy, the Chief Executive of Proman will be one of our feature speakers at the Trinidad & Tobago Energy Conference on 10th February 2025. 

Proman is one of the world’s leading methanol and ammonia producers, with production facilities in Trinidad and Tobago, the United States and Oman, and several expansion projects currently underway globally, including in Mexico. The group has investments across the entire value chain, from upstream gas production through to shipping and marketing of products, as well as engineering, technology development and project management expertise.

David Cassidy has been the Chief Executive since 2008 and has overseen the expansion and diversification of the Switzerland headquartered company into new sectors and territories. 

The Energy Chamber caught up with David ahead of the T&T Energy Conference to talk about Proman’s operations, the company’s role in Trinidad & Tobago and the company’s strategy for the energy transition.

Energy Chamber:  We know that Proman is an extremely important player in Trinidad & Tobago and the biggest operator on the Point Lisas industrial estate, but how important is T&T to Proman?

David Cassidy:  “Trinidad and Tobago has been at the heart of our operations for several decades and remains a key production hub for us today. For example, we are the second largest player in the global methanol market and almost half of our tonnes come from our plants at the Point Lisas Estate. I am particularly proud of the technical and operational expertise we have developed across our teams here.  Skilled personnel from Trinidad and Tobago are in demand around the world bringing the expertise we have developed in Point Lisas to the next generation of international methanol and ammonia projects, shaping the future of our industry.”

Energy Chamber:  The imperatives of the energy transition and the drive to decarbonize energy systems and the production of chemicals has implications for companies across the world, including Proman.  How are you adapting to the challenge of the energy transition?

 David Cassidy:   “As a global leader in methanol and ammonia production, Proman is committed to and excited about our role in supporting and enabling the energy transition. As a business, we pride ourselves on delivering through results, and our approach to the energy transition emphasises meaningful action and tangible outcomes. As part of our commitment to showcasing methanol’s role as a cleaner burning pathway fuel, we, along with our partner Stena Bulk, commissioned and delivered six IMOIIMeMAX methanol powered tankers, which are all on the water today, running on methanol.

 Methanol’s versatility and inherently cleaner-burning properties make it one of the most attractive alternatives to conventional fossil fuels today. However, we need be realistic about the scale of investment required and the time it will take to move towards green production at scale. There needs to be a level playing field and an enabling environment to encourage continued investment and innovation in alternative fuels. It is important that all GHG emissions and other pollutants are calculated consistently, to allow like-for-like comparisons between different fuels.”

Energy Chamber:  It is great to hear about the role that methanol can play in reducing the carbon footprint of marine transport and the strides that Proman has made in that regard.  Do you think that T&T can play a role as a location for bunkering methanol and that in the future we could see ships visiting here in order to refuel with methanol?

David Cassidy:   Geographically it is a highly attractive location on main trade routes and in close situ in sailing terms from the Panama Canal. Combined with the fact that Trinidad and Tobago is one of the largest exporters of methanol in the world, this makes a very strong case for it as a global methanol bunkering hub. We regularly bunker our methanol fuelled tankers here at the Port of Point Lisas.  But to make it a commercially viable and attractive methanol bunkering hub for larger tankers and cruise ships will also require significant investment in new infrastructure.

 Energy Chamber: thank-you so much for taking the time to talk with us and we are looking forward to hear more from you on these topics and more at the T&T Energy Conference in Port of Spain on the 10th February 2025.