TT wants to join US in energy research

ENERGY Minister Eric Williams has said Trinidad and Tobago is willing to join the United States of America in  the development of renewable energy technologies within the western hemisphere. Speaking recently with members of a visiting US Congressional delegation, Williams said, “We are aware that a major effort is underway in the US to build a hydrogen economy and widen the use of renewable energy.”

He added that TT was interested in participating in this effort. The minister said this country’s geographical location “makes us an ideal location for research studies on many forms of renewable energy technologies. “As you all would know this form of energy is recommended to combat the negative effects of global warming,” he said. Noting that TT currently supplied 80 percent of the US’ LNG imports, Williams said Government is now directing increased att-ention to gas market diversification as a strategic imperative and “in the not too distant future (subject to the outcome of our feasibility studies) we will be investing in re-gasification terminals planned for the USA market.” TT is currently in discussions with US company Freeport McMoran re-garding its participation in a proposed LNG re-gasification terminal located off the Louisiana coast.

Many of our companies with US links that search for new sources of oil and gas are presently granted tax write-offs for unsuccessful exploration programmes. The difficulty with this approach is that it depletes our Government of vitally needed revenues to meet infrastructural and institutional development projects,” Williams said. Prime Minister Patrick Manning left last Friday to attend the Gastech 2005 conference in Bilbao, Spain, while Williams will be leaving soon to attend an energy ministers’ conference in Abuja, Nigeria. At the Bilbao conference, Manning is expected to make a presentation entitled “LNG in the Atlantic Basin — the State of Play.”