While the Government of The Bahamas has approved the AES liquefied natural gas (LNG) project for Ocean Cay, it is still considering a second project from Suez Energy North America, according to Minister of Agriculture and Marine Resources Leslie Miller.
“At the present, the government is dealing with the AES Corporation,” said Minister Miller, who is the former Minister of Trade and Industry and still has LNG in his portfolio.
“There are also some ongoing discussions with [Suez], but [Suez] has not yet been approved by the BEST Commission. AES is the only company that has satisfied all of the requirements [set] by the Government of The Bahamas with respect to having a regasification terminal situated in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.”
Minister Millerﾒs comments came while he appeared on the Love 97 programme “Jones and Company”, which aired on Sunday. He said the government had already approved the heads of agreement for AES, and expected to sign “within 10 days”, although he said earlier the signing would be Tuesday or Wednesday of this week.
Earlier this year, then Suez CEO William Utt expressed great frustration in waiting for The Bahamas government to make a decision on whether the companyﾒs project for Grand Bahama would go forward.
He also revealed that Suez, formerly Tractebel, had put its Bahamas plans on the backburner and was instead seeking to build a terminal off the coast of Florida.
But Vice President of Communications Paula Rockstroh told The Bahama Journal this past Friday that the company is still pursuing its Bahamas project and hopes to get the okay from the government.
In fact, she said company officials are expected in town today to meet with Cabinet ministers.
The Grand Bahama Port Authority has continued to be supportive of an LNG project in Grand Bahama.
Suez is hoping that it would be able to help meet South Floridaﾒs increased demand for energy sources by 2010.
“A continued delay or absence of any type of approval from the Bahamian government puts us in a difficult position,” Ms. Rockstroh said in an interview with The Bahama Journal in February. “We would not be able to supply the Florida market at the time it desperately needs the source of energy.”
Suez proposes to construct an LNG project in the Freeport Harbour, but the Bahamas Environment Science and Technology Commission (BEST) has determined that that location was not a suitable site.
On Friday Ms. Rockstroh told The Bahama Journal that Suez was still eyeing the harbour and was addressing certain issues in an effort to get the necessary approvals from Bahamian authorities.
“As we proceed with developing our offshore project in Florida we continue to think that the Freeport Harbour location for a land-based LNG project is the best location in The Bahamas,” she said. “We are continuing our discussions with officials in The Bahamas.”
She called the harbour “viable” and “the best location for that type of facility”.
Ms. Rockstroh added, “We view The Bahamas project as beneficial to The Bahamas as well as to the Florida market and we view that project as a complement to what weﾒre doing on the offshore project. Considering the growing needs of the Florida market, both of those projects could serve customers in Florida.”
She said if Bahamian authorities approve the Grand Bahama project, Suez would still pursue its Florida project.
Asked how the Suez project would benefit Bahamians, Ms. Rockstroh said Suez brings stability as a global energy company with tremendous experience, and she pointed out that the company builds quality, long-term projects.
“Over the long term, we have a mandate to hire locally whenever possible, and certainly the construction of this facility will entail many, many workers over several years,” she said. “We would also be working closely with the Port Authority to make sure that traffic into the port, particularly with cruise ships, is addressed effectively.”
Ms. Rockstroh said Suez is also prepared to relocate people who live in close proximity to the proposed site.
Prior to Minister Millerﾒs disclosure that the government was still in discussions regarding the Grand Bahama project, government officials had not made any comment on the Suez project in a while. They had always maintained that the AES project was closer to getting approval.
Some Bahamians, meanwhile, have maintained that LNG projects would be harmful to the environment.
However, Ms. Rockstroh has said The Bahamas plan “is still a very good project.”
By: Candia Dames, The Bahama Journal
