Kejan Haynes
Proman says it will continue supplying carbon dioxide (CO₂) to Massy Gas for the foreseeable future, following the shutdown of Nutrien’s Trinidad Nitrogen operations at Point Lisas.
In response to questions on whether Proman could permanently continue supplying CO₂ to Massy Gas and how long it could maintain the current price, the company said, “Proman recognised the immediate need for supplies of CO₂ to enable Massy Gas and other smaller businesses to continue to operate. In the spirit of collaboration, we stepped in to provide that support as soon as possible, including the provision of the CO₂ at the previously agreed price. I am sure that you will understand that we can’t share further commercial terms of our agreement, but the intention is to continue to supply CO₂ to Massy Gas for the foreseeable future.”
Industry experts have questioned Proman’s ability to maintain the supply long term.
Nutrien’s future operations were expected to be discussed in Cabinet this week. When contacted for an update, Minister of Energy and Energy Industries Dr Roodal Moonilal did not respond to questions about the company’s future in Trinidad and Tobago or the measures being taken to prevent its departure.
On Tuesday, Massy Gas confirmed it had secured an alternative CO₂ supply through a new delivery arrangement with Proman. The announcement came after the Nutrien plant’s closure disrupted domestic CO₂ production.
On the related issue of carbon dioxide supply, Massy Vice President of Corporate Communications and Corporate Affairs Dionne Ligoure said the company’s new arrangement ensures full supply capacity.
“The supply of carbon dioxide is enough for Massy Gas to supply our entire customer base. More than that, we can assure our customers this plan enables us to not just resume, but to maintain and provide redundancy in the CO₂ supply. To this end, I thank our diligent team at Massy Gas, Proman, NGC, PLIPDECO and other government stakeholders for their support and partnership,” she said.
In a joint statement, Proman, Massy Gas, the National Gas Company (NGC), PLIPDECO and several government agencies said the new supply line had been commissioned on schedule and at no additional cost to customers.
