The Trinidad & Tobago energy industry has rallied to support our Caribbean neighbours impacted by the St Vincent volcano. Mid-Atlantic’s fast platform supply vessel, the Sentinel, was quickly mobilised to carry potable water to help impacted communities in St Vincent. With co-ordination through the Energy Chamber of Trinidad & Tobago and the St Vincent Chamber of Industry and Commerce, both partners in the Caribbean Chambers Network (CARICHAM), 25,000 gallons of potable water, along with urgent medical supplies, were dispatched on this vessel to St Vincent.
Earlier today, the Sentinel pumped potable water ashore, to fill the eight water tanks in the town of Barouallie, which has been without water for 5 days. These eight, 1,000 gallon tanks were picked up by the Sentinel in Kingstown on Wednesday evening, delivered to the town and then filled with the drinking water.
The Energy Chamber team involved in this initiative has been working in close coordination with the Trinidad & Tobago OPDM and the TTDF personnel on the ground in St Vincent and through the St Vincent Chamber, with the St Vincent authorities. The Sentinel is working closely with authorities in St Vincent, including the water and port authorities and the marine pilots (see vessel in the image above). Strict adherence to covid protocols unfortunately means there can be no close contacts between the crews, but the bonds of Caribbean unity are clear.
In Trinidad & Tobago, the Energy Chamber has been working very closely with our partner private-sector organisations AmCham, TT Chamber and TTMA (the Joint Chambers) and with the Minister of Trade to coordinate the donation of relief items and other support for St Vincent. Many of the items delivered to St Vincent from Trinidad & Tobago have been donated by the private-sector or purchased through private-sector financial donations.
Two more platform supply vessels carrying potable water supplies and other needed equipment are scheduled to leave Trinidad over the next few days to provide further support to the Sentinel. The focus of activity will likely be the continued supply of water to isolated coastal communities, as road access with water tankers is impossible, given the conditions on the ground.
The Energy Chamber would like to thank Mid-Atlantic for responding immediately to the call and to our other member companies, including IOCL, Esskay, Ramps Logistics, BHP, EOG Resources, bpTT, EY, Rig Bound, Capital Signal, Sammy’s Multi-Lift and in addition, Wafiq Transport, Bartlett Haulage, Pier 1 and Synergy for their support for this initiative. We will provide further updates as the activities continue.