By KARL E CUPID Tobago Bureau Saturday, October 24 2009

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SMILES ALL AROUND: Prime Minister Patrick Manning (2nd from left) congratulates THA Chief Secretary Orville London while Public Utilities Minister Mus...

THE $600 million 64-megawatt TTEC power plant at Cove, Lowlands, Tobago was officially commissioned by Prime Minister Patrick Manning yesterday. This plant will more than meet Tobago’s growing power needs, Manning said.

The plant is located at the Cove Eco-Industrial and Business Park in Lowlands, West Tobago.

Construction of the dual-fuel powered facility was undertaken by the WARTSILA Corporation of Finland over a period of just under two years and Manning lauded the firm for its efficient delivery of the plant ahead of schedule.

He also commended TTEC for its effective management of the project, as well as the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) for conceptualisation and administration of the initiative. While the new power plant has an overall capacity of 64 megawatts, it will operate initially at an interim capacity of 48 megawatts, which is more than Tobago’s peak demand at present of 42 megawatts. Manning noted this was in addition to the 21 megawatts already supplied by the Scarborough Power Station; which means that, with the Cove facility now in operation, Tobago now has considerable excess electrical capacity to cater for the present and future developmental needs of the island.

He stressed that while construction of the new facility was in accordance with the THA’s thrust to develop the Eco-Industrial and Business Park, it would not only augment Tobago’s base load electrical generation capacity, but will also have the potential to supply electrical power to Trinidad via submarine cable.

“This new interconnection underscores the fact that Tobago and Trinidad walk hand in hand, side by side, as a single nation, facing the future together as equal partners,” Manning asserted.

Manning said more energy would be needed to fuel the country’s transformation into a “developed nation”.