When I moved to Trinidad and Tobago two years ago, I needed to buy a car. I’ve always lived in different countries across Europe and never had to drive, but in Trinidad, for first time in my life, I had to reconsider. Even though I’ve had a valid drivers’ licence since I was 18 years old, I have never had to use it as I could take a bike, walk or travel by public transportation. Now I find myself having to reconsider how I move around and the dramatic impact this change would have on my personal life.
Someone asked me if I had planned to purchase an electric car:
“Why I would do that?” I replied.
“Well, you are working on Environment and Climate… Don’t you want to use everything electric?”
“Yes, I am working on Energy and Climate, but since electricity in Trinidad and Tobago is produced from fossil fuels, buying an electric car would not reduce CO2 emissions. Electricity in Trinidad and Tobago, so far, is produced from natural gas…
This belief that everything electric is better is, of course, a mistaken one. The situation would have been different if power generation was derived from renewable energy sources, such as solar or wind, but this was not the case when I arrived in Trinidad and Tobago.
In my two years living here, I have been fortunate to witness growing awareness of, and attitude-change towards, climate action and pressing environmental issues. The good news is that while this country remains among those with the highest CO2 emissions in the world, things have started to shift and first investments in renewable energy are taking place.
Piarco International Airport is in the process of developing an EU-funded utility-scale solar project, which will cover 7% of the airport’s electricity needs and should reduce CO2 emissions by 1,010 metric tonnes. At the same time, the United Nations Development Programme recently launched a Call for Proposals aimed at small-scale PV rooftop installations for public utilities and remote communities. That Call for Proposals attracted 164 proposals vying for the 12 EU-funded slots. This response illustrates how relevant and timely the Global Climate Change Alliance Plus (GCCA+) project has been for Trinidad and Tobago!
It is important to underline that there is no such thing as best technology, or a one-size-fits-all approach when speaking about power generation. It is very important to look at each situation from a holistic point of view. In other words, it is very important to understand the context, energy needs and limitations in place in a country, state or region.
The European Union has been speaking for years about the need for urgent climate action and renewable energy adoption but has never negated the role of natural gas in the energy transition. Indeed, the European Commission does not instruct its members on the energy mix they should have. Instead, the Commission takes a pragmatic and strategic approach - asking questions, such as: • What are the energy needs now, what are they going to be in the future?
What is the economic outlook?
What kind of investments are necessary to make this happen?
Where would financing come from?
Who are the main stakeholders?
What should be the role of the public sector, of the private sector and civil society?
It is clear for us in the EU that the basis for every sound policy decision should be the quality of data and information available. We are very well aware that badly informed government decisions can result in stranded assets and spoilt lots that cannot be used for future investments.
In Trinidad and Tobago, the reality is very different from that of the EU. In the EU, we are working on energy system integration among the different EU Member States, but this is much more complicated for a twin island state like Trinidad and Tobago.
I know that many complex issues very often have very simple solutions and there is a lot of potential for the reduction of this country’s CO2 emissions. Ammonia accounts for around 50% of those emissions and hydrogen, generated from renewable energy sources or energy efficiency measures, can offer possible solutions to that problem.
I am very optimistic about Trinidad and Tobago’s future. Despite the fact that the Covid pandemic is placing strong economic and financial pressure, I am confident this is temporary and this beautiful twin island developing state has a great and prosperous future in renewable energy ahead.
