Full steam ahead for smelter

Yvonne Webb
Published: 10 Jun 2009
http://guardian.co.tt/business/business/2009/06/10/full-steam-ahead-smelter

Construction of the controversial aluminium smelter plant at La Brea was cemented yesterday as Prime Minister Patrick Manning officially launched the construction of a US$786 million combined cycle power plant for that development.

The plant, the largest in the country with an expected capacity of 720 megawatts, will be constructed on a phase basis by MAN Ferrostaal AG, which has been awarded the project on a full engineer, procure, construct (EPC) basis. The project will be undertaken over a 30-month period with a completion date set for the last quarter of 2011.

Speaking yesterday at the ground-breaking ceremony to officially launch the new plant, Manning said it was an important development in the generation capacity in this country in keeping with its industrialisation thrust. “A mere cursory glance at what is going to take place points to the need for additional electricity. We have our first aluminium smelter, slated to begin construction later this year, at a cost of approximately US$600 million.”

Manning said government is also moving towards the construction of a US$1.2 billion integrated iron and steel complex to be undertaken by Essar of India, the US$2.5 billion gas to polypropylene project, a US$75 million maleic anhydride processing facility, plus a US$1.2 billion petrochemical facility for the production of melamine and urea ammonium nitrate, construction of which is now underway.

Manning said the T&T Electricity Commission has forecasted peak load to demand to be 2,219 megawatts by 2015. As a result, increased power from eight generation stations will deliver ramped up demand as required, and that by 2015, three new power stations will be added in Trinidad and one in Tobago with a total generation capacity of 1,504 megawatts.

Manning said government will also be building strength by upgrading some existing facilities, which, on completion, will have a total installed capacity of 1,440 megawatts. He said government is presently examining the feasibility of supplying electricity by undersea cable to the Eastern Caribbean as far north as the British Virgin Islands.