Khan: UNC keeping country back

ENERGY Minister Franklin Khan on Tuesday warned that if the country continues to heed the misinformation being promoted by the Opposition UNC, it will be left behind.

Khan made this observation as he responded to a motion on the adjournment by Opposition Senator Wade Mark on the recent signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the National Gas Company, National Energy Corporation and Kenesjay Green Ltd (KGL) for the development of a national policy framework for energy-efficient and green hydrogen.

As he began his reponse, Khan lamented, "There he goes again, Every time this administration takes a step forward, the UNC and in particular Senator Mark tries to lasso our necks and pull us two steps back."

He explained the MOU, which was signed on January 29, "is non-binding and non-exclusive and seeks to explore potential areas of co-operation among the entities for the development of hydrogen." After in Trinidad and Tobago a month ago.

But he added, "When we move forward, the UNC insists to (sic) politicise everything and move us backwards." He said this had happened with the Dragon Gas deal, the decision to de-link the Loran-Manatee fields which straddle the TT-Venezuela maritime border and the Sandals resort project in Tobago.

"Every time we put forward. tt meets with criticism."

With the world moving towards cleaner energy and using natural gas as a transition fuel toward zero-carbon, Khan said TT is fortunate that it can still benefit from natural gas.

Part of that zero-carbon world, he continued, involves using hydrogen as a fuel. Khan explained that hydrogen cannot be obtained by using natural gas used to generate electricity, but from renewable energy.

Through the MOU, Khan said," We are attempting to get into the new industry of the zero-carbon world."

He said Saudi Arabia, historically one of the world's largest producers of crude oil, recently launched a renewable energy project on a peninsula in its territory to tap into the emerging US$700 billion green hydrogen market.

Khan said the Biden administration in the US is moving towards that market. As pioneers in the energy industry in areas such as natural gas and LNG, Khan said,"We cannot sit down here like morons. The world is not sitting down and waiting on TT."

After pledging Government's commitment to explore opportunities to develop the economy for the benefit of the population, Khan said one thing the PNM can assure the public is: "We will not be left behind with the UNC."

Mark earlier claimed the same people were directors of some of the companies mentioned in the MOU. He questioned whether NGC chairman Conrad Enill had a conflict of interest in this matter.

He also claimed two companies were only incorporated last January and July respectively but were "in the dance with the NGC."