Consider
alternative fuel, region urged
By
Kim Boodram
Trinidad
Express
Port
Spain
Petroleumworld.com
09 10 06
Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) president
Luis Alberto Moreno yesterday warned that the Caribbean
is too dependent on these finite energy sources
and said that the region should look at a bigger
future in technology.
He cited solar, wind and hydro-powered
projects, as well as "bio-fuel" alternatives.
Moreno was speaking at the end of a two-day visit,
which culminated yesterday in a conference hosted
by the Energy Ministry at the Trinidad Hilton.
Moreno said the IDB is actively
building an "energy portfolio" in the
region that considers regional sustainability in
the short, medium and long-term. Included in its
plans is a large-scale, Central American refinery
with the capacity to process over 300,000 barrels
a day.
Each country in the region will
be required to produce a plan for a future without
oil and gas, that is reflective of that nation's
unique make-up and needs. A regional Private Sector
Co-ordinator also has been deployed to the region.
As it stands, the region bears a
massive annual import bill and shows no real direction
towards post-fossil security. The bank also is preparing
to fund renewal projects around the region with
a US$12 million loan.
The IDB head said developed countries
have begun the serious exploration of ethanol, derived
from sugar-cane, as an fuel alternative. He pointed
out that T&T could have a future in ethanol.
Trinidad Express
Saturday, September 9th 2006
Copyright
©2006 Trinidad Express . All Rights Reserved.
