Speaking at a validation workshop for the European Union-funded "National Wind Energy Action Plan", the T&T Minister of Energy and Energy Industries, Hon. Dr. Roodal Moonilal, indicated that the ongoing wind resource assessment is being expanded. Two additional wind measurement devices will shortly be deployed to cover the Los Iros/Santa Flora and Toco/Manzanilla areas, which had previously been identified as potential good sites for wind turbines to be located.
The Minister also announced that wind energy progress wouldn't be limited to the completion of the onshore wind resource assessment programme (WRAP), as he had directed that offshore wind be pursued concurrently. He explained that the Ministry of Energy, through the national wind energy steering committee, will be issuing a request for proposals to conduct an offshore WRAP.
"It is my intention to have bankable data available for investors by 2026, identifying the best sites for both onshore and offshore wind deployment," he said.
The WRAP is a process used to evaluate the wind characteristics at a specific location to determine its suitability and potential for generating wind energy. Essentially, it's about figuring out how much wind there is, how consistently it blows, and how much electricity a wind farm could realistically produce at that site, with the data being robust enough for an investor to take a decision based on the results.
This is a critical step in developing wind power facilities as it helps to determine the quality of the wind resource, which informs the design of facilities in a particular location, and it is also critical for receiving financing for these types of projects.
The Ministry of Energy launched the onshore WRAP at two sites in 2024, in Orange Valley and Galeota. National Energy is the executing agency for the WRAP. Initial results were shared by the Ministry of Energy at the Energy Chamber Caribbean Sustainable Energy Conference in June 2025. They indicated that the resource looked promising, though further data covering the whole year is still required. Read article here.
The long-term output from commercial wind energy power in T&T is expected to be used in the production of green hydrogen, which will be integrated into our petrochemical industry. This will ensure that the country meets its climate change obligations, but more importantly, our energy industry will continue to be competitive on a global scale based on international market requirements for low carbon commodities.