If given a second term in office, the Government plans to establish an integrated photovoltaic park in central Trinidad to promote the use of solar energy in T&T.
So said Minister of Tertiary Education Fazal Karim as he commissioned T&T’s first solar-powered house at the University of T&T Point Lisas Campus on Tuesday.
The house, built at a cost of $1 million, will be used by UTT students studying renewable energy.
Karim said the Government planned to invest millions to research the use of wind, tidal and solar energy in T&T. He said the first investment to be made is the construction of the photovoltaic park on 214 acres of lands east of Point Lisas, formerly owned by Caroni (1975) Ltd.
“T&T has always been a leader in energy in the region and now we are going forward in renewable energy related manufacturing,” Karim said. He explained that a new industry would be established for the production and installation of solar photovoltaic panels.
“On October 16, 2014, Cabinet agreed to the development of an integrated photovoltaic park in T&T, based on the findings of a feasibility study. Caroni lands located east of Point Lisas will be transferred to the National Energy Corporation to allow for the establishment of four main plants of the integrated Photovoltaic park,” Karim said.
These include a float glass plant, a metallurgical grade silicon plant, a polysilicon plant and a solar photovoltaic plant.
Through the National Training Agency, Karim said, skilled tradesmen would assist in the installation of photovoltaics, creating the potential for high-paying jobs in the future.
“Global investments in renewable energy are estimated at US$270 billion for 2014. With UTT at the centre of this renewable energy thrust, we can aspire to produce five per cent of the nation’s energy through renewable energy within the next five years,” Karim said.
He also said he planned to return to the UTT Energy Campus to commission two turbines to be used for wind energy.
Karim said Energy Minister Kevin Ramnarine recently approved two UTT research projects in the areas of enhanced oil recovery and carbon sequestration which would impact positively on the petroleum industry.
Ramnarine said once hydrocarbon energy was saved, T&T would be able to earn more foreign exchange as it would have more hydro-carbons to export.
UTT chairman Curtis Manchoon also said that the UTT Energy Institute was investing heavily in renewable energy.
He said the institute proposed to launch a Wave Dragon off the Bocas del Dragon to research the potential of utilising tidal energy.