Argus Media Limited

09/14/2021 | News release | Distributed by Public on 09/14/2021 07:22

Gas-short Trinidad awaits green hydrogen

France's HDF Energy, Spanish fund manager Fisterra and consultancy Kenesjay Green are spearheading a $300mn green hydrogen project in Trinidad and Tobago, where a chronic gas shortage makes fertile ground for the emerging fuel.

The first client for the 27,200 t/yr NewGen green hydrogen project will be ammonia producer Tringen. Majority owned by state-owned holding company NEL, Tringen operates two ammonia plants on the Point Lisas industrial estate where the NewGen facility will be located. Tringen's plants have combined nameplate capacity of 995,000 t/yr.

Fisterra, a subsidiary of US private equity firm Blackstone Energy Partners, and Kenesjay Green are finalizing the technical and commercial terms for the project that will produce of green hydrogen by 2024, the energy ministry told Argus.

'We have substantially completed our pre-front end engineering and design (FEED) phase of the project, and are preparing for the FEED stage, with the goal of achieving our financial investment decision by the end of the second quarter of 2022,' said Kennesjay Green, which is based in Port of Spain.

NewGen's electrolyzer will be powered by two solar farms totaling 130MW that will be developed by a joint venture between BP and Shell. The two companies are Trinidad's top producers of natural gas which has long fallen short of the industrialized country's extensive demand. As a result, green hydrogen has multiple potential offtakers.

'Once this project is commissioned to deliver a part of the feedstock for the Tringen plant, we will be moving on to other projects to expand the use of green hydrogen in our energy sector,' the ministry said.

Trinidad's petrochemical, fertilizer and LNG plants are routinely subject to gas supply curtailments.

By Canute James