(Pietro D. Pitts, Energy Analytics Institute, 5.Jan.2025) — Trinidad and Tobago’s long-term roadmap for a green hydrogen economy includes establishment of a green hydrogen market in the twin-island Caribbean country.
This, as the government recognizes the importance of creating necessary enablers through regulations, policies and incentives that will support the development of this green hydrogen economy.
In years recent a study undertaken by the National Energy Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago Ltd., on behalf of the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries (MEEl) and in collaboration with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and KBR Inc. assessed Trinidad’s potential “to produce green hydrogen as a major decarbonization option for the power and industrial sectors.”
Key findings identified for Trinidad by the study include:
— Opportunities to expand and augment its energy portfolio with low carbon products;
— A need to invest in upstream development of the hydrogen value chain while ensuring expansion of downstream infrastructure for green ammonia and methanol;
— Identification of offshore wind technologies as the best renewable energy source available in the production of green hydrogen; and
— Creation of a framework for development of demonstration projects across the entire value chain to test the end-use applications of green hydrogen.
Trinidad’s economy is heavily reliant on natural gas used to feed its four-train 14.8 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) Atlantic LNG (ALNG) export plant as well as other ammonia and methanol plants.
However, owing to a lack of gas supply prompted by declining domestic gas reserves and production, ALNG is only operating with three trains. A long-awaited restructuring, that finally happened, hopes to make things better at ALNG some day.
RELATED: Trinidad’s Atlantic LNG Train 1 Registers 46 Months Offline, According to MEEI Data
Ammonia and methanol production has also been affected by the gas shortage. And, ammonia and methanol could underpin Trinidad’s future value proposition for a green hydrogen economy.
At the moment, Trinidad’s gas production, which averaged 2.497 billion cubic feet per day (Bcf/d) in Sep. 2024 compared to a peak of 4.52 Bcf/d in Feb. 2010, continues to decline amid a lack of something or somethings that international oil companies (IOCs) such as BPTT, Shell, EOG Resources and Woodside Energy, among others, can cling to.
And, rising crime is just another thing on their list to be concerned about.
RELATED: IOCs Responsible for 95% of Trinidad’s Gas Output in Sep. 2024
Trinidad’s Green Hydrogen Roadmap
Pursuit of the green hydrogen roadmap could see Trinidad become one of the first countries to add green hydrogen to its energy product mix as it further enhances the country’s contribution to global decarbonization efforts while generating a new revenue stream for companies and government coffers.
Efforts to create a hydrogen economy is “well within reach of Trinidad and Tobago through government intervention in policy and regulation, careful planning and actions from stakeholders,” according to details in the 66-page roadmap published in Nov. 2022.
The roadmap is based on a long-term development plan and split into 3 horizons.
— 2022-2028 horizon: the first horizon seeks to achieve consensus among local stakeholders, develop the required enabling policies and regulatory framework and establish a visible decarbonization initiative for the country. Trinidad’s first offshore wind pilot is envisioned near the end of the first horizon.
— 2029-2044 horizon: the second horizon looks to build on the first phase, while creating an environment to initiate the country’s first utility scale renewable energy project as well as green hydrogen production facility in Trinidad. By the end of the second horizon, it is envisioned that Trinidad will have installed offshore wind capacity of 25 gigawatts (GW) with 10.5 GW of output to feed electrolyzers to produce 1.5 mtpa of green hydrogen.
— 2045-2065 horizon: the third horizon looks to reinforce Trinidad’s leadership in the new energy sector with offshore wind capacity expected to reach 57 GW. That would include 25 GW of output to feed an electrolyzer to produce 4 mtpa of green hydrogen by 2065.
“Trinidad is at the beginning of a challenging and exciting journey… This journey starts with setting up a strong foundation with the right enabling policies, regulatory framework and institutional support to launch Trinidad’s hydrogen economy,” the report said.
Green hydrogen, ammonia and methanol
Trinidad, with a population of about 1.4mn people, according to United Nations data, currently has installed infrastructure capacity for approximately 1.7 mtpa of hydrogen.
Green hydrogen could play an important role in the future in Trinidad’s transportation sector, “through the transition of heavy goods vehicles, long-haul carriers and public transport to green hydrogen vehicles,” according to the roadmap.
Green ammonia and methanol are expected to play an important role in the decarbonization of Trinidad’s shipping sector and provide an opportunity for the country to transition local ferries to green fuels in the future.
“Trinidad is in a unique leadership position, where the country not only possesses an extensive oil and gas heritage, but also the infrastructure associated with the ammonia industry,” the report said. Both can be leveraged alongside existing “trade relations and geographical location for the country to position not only as a green exporter but also as a regional green hydrogen (or green products) storage and trading hub for the Americas and the Caribbean regions.”
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By Pietro D. Pitts in Houston. © 2025 Energy Analytics Institute (EAI). All Rights Reserved.
