Day 3: Energy Efficiency And Renewables Event Trinidad

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(Energy Analytics Institute, 3.Feb.2021) — The Energy Efficiency and Renewables Conference 2021 hosted by the Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago was broadcast virtually from 1-3 February 2021 from Trinidad. Keys details from Day 3 follow.

DAY 3

SWECO’s Tanja Groth

— Integrated policies maximize renewable usage by targeting infrastructure, flexibility and synergies.

— Indonesia has had a slow start with its transition to renewable electricity.

— Costa Rica has advanced with its transition to 100% renewables.

— Costa Rica has ~98% renewables in its existing electricity system, dominated by hydropower (72%) and followed by wind (15%), geothermal (10%) and biomass and solar (less than 1%).

Jai Thomas, Program Director, Energy Transformation, Energy Policy Western Australia

— Western Australia has ~1.2 million consumers, the majority of its  population; geographically isolated region.

— Summer peaking system: peak demand ~4,000 MW, average demand ~2,000 MW.

— Currently, 642 MW of large-scale renewables connected with a further 490 MW under construction and 248 MW in development.

— Over 1,100 MW of rooftop solar PV installed (~25% of households have solar PV) – growing at 2,000 households/month.

Beatriz Estrada Moreno, International Advisor to the Chair of the Peruvian Energy Regulator

— “We are beyond the paradigm where competition would remove the responsibility of planning for governments. Sometimes government driven changes are required for the general welfare.”

— “We need regulators to promote those changes. Good regulation corrects market failures, acknowledges risks and uncertainty, is periodically evaluated, can always be challenged, and is independent.”

— “Climate is a global asset. Climate change has a spillover effect. Climate change has global effect and it is happening.”

Lightsource bp, Francis Mann

— “Renewable energy is the key to addressing the ‘dual challenge’ – creating more energy while reducing emissions and combating climate change.”

— Project Lara comprised of Orange Grove Solar Project (20 MW) and the Brechin Castle Solar Project (92 MW), which will start construction in 2021 and bring a total 112 MW to the market in 2022.

RELATED STORY: Lightsource bp Eyes Construction of Project Lara in Trinidad and Tobago

Proman Technical Services Manager Aleeya Ali

— “Methanol is cost competitive as a fuel, and is a clean burning fuel, boasting significantly lower emissions than traditional marine fuels.”

— Methanol is safe to handle and part of a tested and established infrastructure available in over 100 ports worldwide, including all major bunkering hubs with relatively low infrastructure costs.

— Proman’s Stena Bulk JV dual-fuel vessels to be in service in the first quarter of 2022, using between 40-46 MT/day

— Methanol blends of between 3% and 15% can be used in most modern vehicle fuel engines without modification to the vehicle.

— Trinidad and Tobago can lead the way by championing methanol blended gasoline for the regional common good, supporting CARICOM countries to achieve their sustainable development goals.

LF Systems Ltd. Principal Rae J. Furlonge

— Vehicles locally will not disappear in the short-to-medium terms (5 to 10 years); we have to feed them, park them, and replace them.

— “We need to learn to apply policies that reduce vehicle-kilometer usage.”

— Importers should be encouraged to bring electric transit vehicles and discourage from private vehicles; develop appropriate electric charging techniques.

— “Incidentally, low energy transport consumption also includes walking and cycling. No other transportation strategy has been as effective in getting people to leave their cars as the Covid-19 pandemic.”

— “The result is that traffic congestion was removed, and carbon emission was drastically reduced, and thus the cities became livable again. We should not return to the old normal.”

Assistant Professor At The University Of Trinidad And Tobago Curtis Boodoo Ph.d.

— Transportation planning is complex and involves energy, tourism, urban planning and social programs.

— Regional focus on reducing energy imports and reducing emissions.

— Referring to REVS: the region needs to prepare “through policy and planning for emerging transportation technologies and models.”

Dr. Graham King

— “There was a 43% growth in EV sales in 2020 — in the midst of the pandemic.”

— Trends in e-mobility: growth is incentivized by governments to gain EV benefits.

— Critical price point for lithium batteries is US$100/kWh. Possible that this will be the average price by 2023. Increased commodity prices could delay that to 2025.

— Approximately 17 countries have plans to ban sales of new ICE vehicles by 2030-2040.

— China has aggressively incentivized establishment of and sales for EV start-ups.

— Trinidad: non-competitive oil reserves and depleting gas reserves. Highly efficient energy use. Localized air pollution.

— In typical Trinidad and Tobago driving, the range of most BEVs should be quite adequate for daily use and home charging.

Unipet COO Kirt Hills

— “EVs produce fewer life cycle emissions than conventional vehicles because most emissions are lower for electricity generation than burning gasoline or diesel.”

— “EV drivers can further minimize their life cycle emissions by using electricity generated by non-polluting renewable sources like solar and wind.”

Unipet Alternative Energy Engineer Richard Ramrattan

 — Unipet has installed and launched a double Level 2 AC EV charging station at the Brentwood Service Station in Dec. 2020. In so doing, Unipet has become the first private sector company to provide an electric charging station for public use and the first liquid fuel provider in the region to provide electric charging options to customers.

— On average, an EV owner will save about 75% of the annual fuel costs by switching from gas to electric; hence, implying a 75% reduction in consumption of fossil fuels per vehicle.

NGC CNG Company Limited Communications Manager Roger Sant

— The main low carbon solutions in Trinidad include 1) decentralization, 2) mass transit, 3) alternative fuels, 4) lower emitting vehicles, 5) fiscal incentives and 6) behavioral changes.

— By the end of 2021, NGC CNG expects to have 20 CNG stations in operation.

— Transportation has changed dramatically in a century and changes will continue, especially technology and fuels.

RELATED STORY Day 1: Energy Efficiency And Renewables Event Trinidad

RELATED STORY Day 2: Energy Efficiency And Renewables Event Trinidad

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By Piero Stewart. © Energy Analytics Institute (EAI). All Rights Reserved.

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