St Vincent, Grenada to get TT power

TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO is contemplating a US$90 million project to supply Grenada and St Vincent with electrical power. This was disclosed yesterday by Prime Minister Patrick Manning who also said two major pipelines are needed to supply the region with natural gas and TT will sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Jamaica today, to supply LNG to Jamaica at preferential prices and assume a participating interest in the necessary storage and regasification storage to be built in Jamaica. Addressing the opening of the Tenth Special Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of Caricom at the Hilton Trinidad, the Prime Minister said feasibility studies for the distribution of natural gas to the region now indicate that “this effort will require, not one, but two major lines across the region.”

Manning explained that the first line will extend from Tobago to Barbados and onto Martinique, with a spur to St Lucia, and move further north to Guadeloupe with another spur to Dominica. He said there was a possibility of an additional spur from Guadeloupe to Antigua and St Kitts. Manning added that the pipeline to Guadeloupe is projected to cost US$527 million. However Manning then revealed that technical issues indicate the need for a second line from Tobago to Grenada and St Vincent. The Prime Minister said this line, which will cost US$161 million, is not economic and “can only be installed if the states involved will underwrite a significant part of the cost.” Against this background, Manning said Government was considering the alternative of “supplying power to Grenada and St Vincent via submarine cable from Trinidad.” 

“This is projected to cost in the vicinity of US$ 90 million and is well worth our consideration, especially in the context of the balanced development we are pursuing in the region, and in light of the fact that neglect of member states already demonstrably vulnerable will continue to countervail regional advancement,” the Prime Minister stated. Manning announced the formal establishment of a special grant facility to assist the energy needs of Caricom nations and predicted that this facility will realise an accumulation of $300 million in one year’s time. He explained that Caricom nations can now draw down on these funds “which we have stipulated must be used, however, for poverty eradication” and this facility will be administered by the Caribbean Development Bank. The Prime Minister said TT is currently putting together its full and comprehensive policy on regional energy supplies and Government proposes to make Tobago “a green area.”