Mark Loquan steps down as NGC president in August

National Gas Company (NGC) president Mark Loquan will step down from the post he has held for eight years on August 31 – Independence Day – the company announced on Thursday.

Loquan will also no longer serve as a director on the NGC board and its affiliates. The company said Loquan would not renew his contract and a search for a successor would be done during the coming months. Once a new president is recruited, Loquan will work with the individual to ensure a smooth transition, as well as to help the company with its strategic plan until he demits office, it said.

NGC chairman Dr Joseph Ishmael Khan praised Loquan for his leadership of the state-owned enterprise.

“Mark has played an indelible role in the sustained growth and development of NGC. As president, he has leveraged his global mindset, strategic thinking, and commitment to national development to ensure that NGC remained focused on delivering sustainable value for Trinidad and Tobago (TT), within the context of an often-disruptive global energy industry. We have valued his leadership style, his support for people, and his commitment to TT,” Khan said.

Loquan has played a key role in NGC's expansion, as well as being part of Government's negotiating team in the restructuring of Atlantic LNG, which gives the country an 11 per cent shareholding in each of the four trains of the natural gas facility.

In its bio, the company said Loquan's career in the petrochemical industry began more than 40 years ago at the then Trinidad Nitrogen Co Ltd as a process engineer. He progressed through several leadership roles before joining Hydro Agri Trinidad (now Yara Trinidad Ltd in 2002) and worked in senior executive levels in Trinidad and Tobago, sub-Saharan Africa, Australia and Europe.

It said Loquan joined at a time when the "global energy industry was experiencing significant disruption and transformation; in addition, the focus on a low-carbon future was building in prominence."

NGC said Loquan helped it to become "a leading contributor across the energy value chain, advocating for greater collaboration across the local energy sector in areas such as safety, local content, supply chain management, gas optimisation, and energy efficiency.

"He has been at the forefront of NGC’s efforts to move beyond natural gas to encompass other forms of clean energy, investing and partnering to build a portfolio of energy assets and projects that support the global transition to a low-carbon future.

Loquan on Wednesday took part in the relaunch of NGC CNG as NGC Green as part of its goal to pursue renewable energy sources and achieve energy efficiency. Speaking at the Hyatt Regency, Loquan said the country should should aspire to 30 per cent renewables by 2030. Of NGC's efforts in this area,he said, "We have embarked on a campaign to reduce our output by 25 per cent for our operated assets by 2025."

Energy Minister Stuart Young, who Loquan has accompanied on many overseas meetings with energy companies, could not be reached by phone for a comment.