Energy innovation essential

ONE HIGHLIGHT of the recent multi-stakeholder energy conference held at the Hyatt Regency in Port of Spain was an innovation challenge which saw five exceptional projects singled out on February 11.

We congratulate the winner of this challenge, Ramp Logistics, which impressed executives and industry experts with a generative AI solution for customs brokerage.

But we also single out for praise all the other finalists, particularly the Rum and Sargassum project, which has found a way to use sargassum-based biofuel for sustainable low-carbon transportation.

Such innovations provide the key to bolstering sustainability within the industrial sector as TT continues to exploit fossil fuels to the extent workable amid an unpredictable and unforgiving global environment.

Other finalists included Neptune Biosystems, which involves artificial hydroelectric power generation using low-temperature waste heat from industrial sources; TOSL Engineering, which provides an efficient method of air conditioning for a building network through the use of chilled water; and 3BA Allmanda Enterprise, which focuses on a thermal-powered battery built using waste materials that can be installed underground and store energy over a lifespan of 15-25 years.

However, with the beverage industry and companies like Angostura being a key part of the Caribbean’s economic makeup, the Rum and Sargassum project is notable.

It shows how rum distillery wastewater and sargassum, harvested from beaches, can generate bio-methane, which can power vehicles and electric grids.

This tackles three separate problems: it finds a productive use for seaweed, which has become a serious nuisance and impediment to tourism; it helps address energy needs; and it re-purposes wastewater productively.

The energy conference, part-sponsored by companies such as NCG, Shell, bpTT, Woodside Energy, RBC and Proman, saw many stakeholders express optimism about the future of the energy sector.

Some even noted how energy companies themselves have a role to play in decarbonisation through adopting low-carbon alternatives in continued production.

“Offshore drilling in particular is projected to play a significant role in global energy supply,” the Prime Minister, who delivered the keynote address at the three-day event, said. “Next-generation drilling platforms will offer faster set-up and fewer emissions.”

Additionally, Mala Baliraj, head of the Energy Chamber of TT, called for “constant reinvestment” in the sector and a focus on removing delays that could hinder its growth.

At the same time, she also made the point that there are strong economic reasons for investment in renewable energy outside of the climate crisis.

“For a small-island nation like TT, there are also critical non-climate reasons to invest in renewables and energy efficiency: the less gas we use in electricity generation, the more gas will be available for foreign exchange-earning LNG and petrochemical exports,” she said.

Innovative approaches are needed to balance climate action with the imperatives of the oil and gas economy, even as stakeholders continue to see the sector as bullish. The gains to be made by adopting new technology and new approaches should not be underestimated.

So, we commend the conference for highlighting these projects.