Trinidad and Tobago 2nd National Symposium on CCS

It has been five years since the first national symposium on CCS. This Trinidad and Tobago 2nd National Symposium on CCS was designed to bring together stakeholders from industry, government and academia and to update all on developments and plans. A central theme was the development of the country’s capabilities in CCS as a regional centre of expertise.

We heard from the Acting Prime Minister and Energy Minister Stuart Young on the need to move quickly to CCS implementation, especially in the context of the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) which impacts their significant European exports.

We heard from Minister Pennelope Beckles-Robinson on the value of CCS to the country’s fossil-fuel-based economy, the importance of partnerships and the examples of Trinidad and Tobago helping other countries in the Caribbean.

Kishan Kumarsingh has been a lead negotiator in the UNFCCC since 1998, not only for this country but also for the Association of Small Island States (AOSIS). He presented on their achievement in being the first to get Green Climate Fund funding for CCS activities, a very important precedent for other countries (which I reported on in May). He described the challenges faced by small island states, and that CCS needs to be contributing to achieving their next Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

Professor Donnie Boodlal presented on the national scene setting for CO₂ sources and sinks and costs, with potentially having the lowest cost CCS opportunities in the world. Professors David Alexander and Raffie Hosein presented on the CO₂ storage assessments of 31 depleted fields, the forthcoming assessment of saline formation storage (funded by the GCF), the development of a storage atlas, and their initial plans for a pilot project.

Permanent Secretary Bradshaw-Niles spoke about the policy guidelines, of which a second draft is out for consultation (IEAGHG were asked to provide comments on the first draft).

A major presenter and contributor to discussions was Donneil Cain from the Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre, an organisation that provides regional development finance, including from the Green Climate Fund.

We also heard from Guyana and their carbon tax of USD50, and their enabling legislation for CO2 storage licensing. 

Senior industry representatives presented from their perspectives, including pipeline transport, CO₂ handling, and costs. Professor Katherine Romanak of the University of Texas presented guidance and examples from her experience on technology transfer, outreach and international centres of excellence.

I was pleased to provide the international scene setter, an update on CCS in the global climate scene, emphasising developments of most relevance to Trinidad and Tobago, and their key role as a small island state leading by example. I also moderated the round table discussions on a pilot project and a centre of expertise. It was an honour to meet the Acting Prime Minister and Energy Minister Stuart Young and to reacquaint with Minister Pennelope Beckles-Robinson, Permanent Secretary Penelope Bradshaw-Niles, and their veteran UNFCCC negotiator Kishan Kumarsingh.

It was impressive to see six alumni of our International CCS Summer Schools in action, some in leadership positions now and all doing great work on CCS.

Overall, the discussions were very useful in gathering inputs on developing CCS nationally and regionally. This event certainly achieved its goal of building a national community of interested stakeholders to create a foundation for collaboration to a pilot project and regional centre of excellence.

Thanks to our colleagues at the University of the West Indies and the University of Trinidad and Tobago for organising the Trinidad and Tobago 2nd National Symposium on CCS, and for their leadership in the region on CCS and for the Green Climate Fund achievement. We look forward to hosting them and government VIPs in Canada in October with the University of Texas and the International CCS Knowledge Centre for a visit to Saskpower’s Boundary Dam CCS project, and then to GHGT-17.