During a July 27 groundbreaking ceremony in Crabbs Antigua, United States Ambassador to Antigua and Barbuda and the Eastern Caribbean, Linda Taglialatela hailed the collaboration of American company Eagle LNG and Antiguan companies Antigua Power Company (APC) and the Antigua Public Utilities Authority (APUA) in what will be the island’s first power plant integrating natural gas infrastructure and power generation.
Ambassador Taglialatela noted the project is the first of its kind in the Eastern Caribbean and in utilizing LNG, Antigua has taken a strategic step forward in its endeavour of becoming one hundred percent renewal energy capable.
“I am confident that this new partnership will put Antigua and Barbuda on the path to further low-carbon solutions,” Ambassador Taglialatela remarked.
Eagle LNG, a Texas based company was introduced to the APC through the U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown’s Gold Key Matchmaking Service, whereby the Embassy screens, qualifies and arranges meetings with potential agents, distributors or other business partners for American companies.
“Eagle LNG Partners has been delivering LNG in the Caribbean for a number of years now and is pleased to add Antigua and its neighbors as the recipient of clean, affordable and assured supply of liquefied natural gas from our Jacksonville, Florida production facility.” President of Eagle LNG Partners Sean Lalani stated.
“Our partners, APC and APUA Electricity are an integral part of our plans to invest in and grow jobs for Antigua.”
During the groundbreaking ceremony, Minister of Public Utilities of Antigua and Barbuda, Sir Robin Yearwood remarked, “This project is yet another opportunity for Antigua and Barbuda and the U.S. to work together for the benefit of all the people of Antigua and Barbuda.”
Chairman of APC, Francis Hadeed stated, “For over 25 years, the APC has been in the power generation industry. We are pleased to be partnering with Eagle LNG to introduce clean liquefied natural gas to Antigua and Barbuda and the wider Caribbean.”
APUA Electricity Business Unit Manager, Andre Matthias affirmed APUA’s commitment to the integration of clean energy into the power grid, stating “This LNG project will ensure that we satisfy the Government’s mandate in reducing carbon emissions and at the same time maintaining the stability of the grid as we add additional generation.”
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So, who is going to get rich and or richer from this project?
The Moderna family…….This family loves when ALP in Power. More Money, More Money, More Money. Elections really in the air. Wait what happen to the wind turbines that came in? Peter Verde solar plants gorn dead? Poor Antiguans and Barbudans we are so politically blind, that the 1% continues to get richer and the poor continue to stay poor.
UPP went and got a US$50million loan from China and bought a piece of junk, which we the taxpayer now must repay. With nothing to show for.
The Hadeed are saving us the trouble of having to find the finance and putting their money at risk, but you don’t want them to make money from it. They should do it for free.
At least this agreement will in the end of the repayment term, which by the way is shorter than a loan term, gain us another large asset. It is more than fair that in the years they got to recoup their investment and earn some money as well. It’s a win win for all parties.
@ Sideline
ALP said the new power plant was a piece of junk when they were in opposition. When they returned to power, why did they not asked the Chinese to return the money or stop paying for the junk. Instead the government is in bed with the Chinese and have even obtained more loans from them. If the government was tipped off, why are they still doing business with them? Wise people know that the powers at APC wanted to maintain the monopoly. Not even home solar panels Robin Yearwood wants in the country. US$50million of taxpayer’s money was wasted because the ALP government is dishonest and don’t really care about the people’s resources, only the well being of their rich friend who provided financing to improve the electricity. Robin Yearwood said there was a huge loan to be repaid. This is the reason for killing the new power plant. It is a shame that the labour government put the interest of a few over that of the country.
Baldwin Spencer wanted to end the monopoly.
#should be ripped off#
So the inept UPP buys a piece of junk but the ALP has to take the blame for it. While when Baldwin was questioned about the plant he hold a press conference and said to us the plant was new and because it is a power plant we will see oil and not wine. And furthermore the plant wasn’t bought from the government of China. It was bought from a sinister Chinese Company. The Government of China provide us with a loan nothing else. And yes we continue to do business with China, because they are one of the few if not the only country that will provide us soft loans for our development. Like now with our port development. Where else you think we would be able to get a loan like that with those easy terms and low interest rate. And again, that is for our development. If we had people that knew what they were doing and bought us a good power plant, we would not be talking about this. We would be praising Baldwin Spencer for his accomplishment. But they were and are a bunch of inept people and got ripped off so easily. Like taking candy from a child. Note in this case no one was accused of corruption. But who knows if there were kickbacks from the deal. And yes the sinister part of it is that China wants us to forget about it. While they are working with us on other projects and providing many grants.
@Sideline
You and your elks know that there was nothing wrong with the power plant. The plant was condemned to kill the competition, plain and simply. I am sure that if you or I were sold junk we would not be paying for it. You stop paying and let the company take you to court. Or you sue them. Let’s say that it was determined that the government was indeed sold junk, do you think that a UPP government would pay for it? Why is the labour government paying for junk?
You labour supporters are a bunch of hypocrites and will look after your friends irrespective of the cost to the country.
@Sideline
Don’t think the Chinese are fairy god mothers. They are astute business people. How does the government know it is getting value for money and the projects are not overpriced? They give loans to poor countries Hoping they can’t repay so that they can take the assets and they like ports. They built a railway in east Africa and all the instructions are in Chinese and who do you think owned the blue prints?
@Sidelines: The Hadeeds are saving us you say? You need to go and bury your head into the dirt.So we could use a bull-bud on your behinds.
Wait they took down Knight in Shining Armour comment… He was actually correct on this one… Same set a people getting rich everytime.. Now aided by the U.S. Government.. All eyes now on WIOC. It’s making roo much money without the family.. let’s see how much can be extracted!!!!
Where specifically in the non-usa Caribbean has Eagle been delivering LNG, and for how long?
Why has the govt of A&B gone down such a fossil driven route? The gas has to be shipped from Florida, we are at the whim of the American company regarding pricing & supply.
This question was asked & never answered when this project was first proposed.
The Govt. has trumpeted so many ‘eco smart’ energy plans… Where are the increased solar farms? Inverters? Home clean renewable energy?
Gotta have an electric vehicle by 2030 but seems it’ll be charged not by clean renewable energy.
Or is this about the almighty dollar.
How much the consumer has to pay to ensure ‘enrichment’ happens for the few.
The US Embassy ‘Gold Key’ program is a telling name… How USA Companies can come into the region under the auspices of the diplomatic corps and make gold.
Weary of this centuries-old story.
Would be interested in knight robins take on this, as he’s led all the apua power projects for nearly 4 decades.
Ms. Linda I know the is pressure to show the US is doing something given the Chinese have now entrenched themselves in the economic life of Antigua and the region. But you as an America. Rep should be careful of endorsing a type of capitalism and greed that is sucking the blood of Antiguans with the protection of certain politicians who cannot see themselves retiring any time soon . Why are key strategic asset allowed to run down and the saved by this family… They have learnt the art of extracting money from Every single Antiguan. The technicians at the Ministry of Finance work to ensure the Hadeeds get pay…and the negros shoot each other every day on the radio.. People wake up…
THIS IS INSANE! So we have a decade to end fossil fuel dependency and we are opening a FOSSIL FUEL PLANT??!!!?! A wah ya joke?
These politrickians love to talk a big game in front of their UN summits and cry because we on these small islands are already experiencing the effects of climate change first (coral reef bleaching, extended droughts, more powerful hurricanes, etc) and yet they are CONTRIBUTING DIRECTLY TO THE PROBLEM with these kinds of corrupt, idiotic, profit seeking deals.
Read the comments, no one here buys the bull that this natural gas is in our interest or “low carbon”. It is not some kind of “bridge” to clean energy, it is a fossil fuel and thereby creates dependency on fossil fuels, not to mention puts us at the whims of YET MORE American corporations. Please tell us what we will do when the gas stops flowing, when the oil stops arriving? When the Tropical ship doesn’t come and no one remembers how to grow our own food or take care of our water resources because we’ve been working in hotels and offices our whole lives.
This is neocolonialism 101 and as ummm said we are all TIRED OF IT. When will we truly start to build resilience, autonomy and self-reliance here? It’s either wilful ignorance or these rulers really believe that they will be able to insulate themselves from the impending effects of the various crises they are causing, economic and ecological. We all breath the same air, as the great Fundi said, none shall escape.
I guess this arrangement is ok because APC is involved. The same set of people controlling all the power generation in Antigua. If it were not APC and another company was involved, there would have been a lot of problems with the deal.
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