Trinidad and Tobago is a small island country with an energy system built on an unusually large industrial base. Natural gas does more than generate electricity. It feeds liquefied natural gas plants, ammonia and methanol facilities, gas-processing operations and other industries that earn export revenue. Oil also remains part of the economy, although crude production is much lower than it was during the country’s earlier petroleum era.
This creates a difficult national question. Trinidad and Tobago has world-class energy infrastructure, technical knowledge and access to Atlantic markets, but many of its major plants need more gas than current fields can reliably supply. New offshore projects, solar power, refinery plans and lower-carbon industries are therefore connected to the same goal: keeping the energy economy productive while reducing its dependence on one limited source of fuel.
Natural Gas Made Trinidad and Tobago an Industrial Energy State
The most important fact about Trinidad and Tobago energy is that natural gas sits at the centre of almost everything. Gas is produced mainly from offshore fields around Trinidad and then moved through an extensive pipeline network. It supplies electricity generators, the Atlantic LNG complex, gas processors and the petrochemical plants at Point Lisas.
This system gave Trinidad and Tobago a very different economic position from most Caribbean countries. Many nearby islands import fuel to generate electricity and support transport. Trinidad and Tobago developed as an exporter of energy and energy-based products. Its natural resources supported industrial estates, ports, pipelines, storage terminals and a skilled workforce with experience in offshore engineering, plant operations and petrochemical production.
The energy sector still has a major influence on public revenue, foreign exchange and national investment. Government energy-sector revenue increased from about TT$14 billion in fiscal 2024 to more than TT$17 billion in fiscal 2025. Changes in gas production or international prices can therefore affect the wider economy, including government spending and access to foreign currency. [1]
Trinidad and Tobago is not simply a gas producer. It is a country that has built several layers of industry on top of gas production. That model creates more economic value than exporting raw gas alone, but it also means that a shortage of gas can affect many facilities at the same time.
The Offshore Gas Shortage Is the Central Energy Problem
Trinidad and Tobago’s energy challenge is not a lack of pipelines, industrial plants or export experience. The main problem is securing enough new natural gas to keep existing infrastructure operating at efficient levels.
Natural gas production reached about 4.3 billion cubic feet per day in 2010 before entering a long decline. By 2024, average production was around 2.54 billion cubic feet per day, according to the Trinidad and Tobago Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. This was about 34 percent below the level recorded in 2015. Lower production has caused competition for gas among electricity generators, LNG facilities and petrochemical plants. [1]
Several offshore projects are intended to slow or reverse this decline. The bp-operated Cypre project delivered first gas in April 2025 and later completed its seven-well drilling programme. The Mento development, operated by EOG Resources with bp as a partner, also produced first gas in May 2025. These projects use existing platforms, subsea systems and pipelines, allowing new production to reach the domestic network without building an entirely separate system. [2]
Shell’s Manatee project is another important part of the future gas supply. Manatee forms part of the wider Loran-Manatee field, which crosses the maritime boundary between Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela. Trinidad and Tobago is developing the Manatee resources on its side of the border, with first gas targeted for 2027. The project is expected to provide gas for domestic industries and could become one of the country’s most important new supply sources. [3]
These developments matter because Trinidad and Tobago already has more gas-processing and export capacity than its recent production can fully support. The country does not need to create an energy industry from the beginning. It needs enough reliable feedstock to use the industry it already has.
Atlantic LNG and Point Lisas Turn Gas into Export Value
Two locations explain much of Trinidad and Tobago’s modern energy economy: Point Fortin and Point Lisas.
Atlantic LNG operates a four-train liquefaction complex at Point Fortin with total nameplate capacity of approximately 15 million tonnes of LNG per year. Natural gas is cooled into liquid form, loaded onto specialised vessels and shipped to international markets. The plant helped establish Trinidad and Tobago as an important Atlantic Basin LNG exporter, with access to customers in the Americas, Europe and other regions. [4]
The value of the LNG complex depends on how much gas is available. When offshore production falls, liquefaction trains may operate below their technical capacity. This means that the national gas shortage is not only an upstream problem. It also affects shipping volumes, export earnings and the economics of infrastructure that has already been built.
Point Lisas has a different but equally important role. The Point Lisas Industrial Estate contains ammonia, methanol, urea, steel and gas-processing operations. Natural gas is used both as fuel and as a chemical feedstock. Hydrogen taken from gas is used to produce ammonia, while gas also supports methanol production.
Trinidad and Tobago has installed capacity to produce more than six million tonnes of methanol per year, although actual output depends on plant availability and gas supply. Ammonia, methanol and urea remain important exports and connect the country to global agriculture, manufacturing and chemical markets. [5]
The Phoenix Park Gas Processors complex near Point Lisas adds another part of the value chain. It can process almost two billion cubic feet of gas per day and separate natural gas liquids such as propane, butane and natural gasoline. These products can be sold locally or exported rather than remaining mixed into the gas stream. [6]
Together, Atlantic LNG, Point Lisas and Phoenix Park show why Trinidad and Tobago’s gas shortage has such wide effects. Every unit of gas must be divided among electricity, LNG, petrochemicals and liquids processing.
Oil Remains Important, but the Refinery Story Has Changed
Oil production began shaping Trinidad’s economy long before natural gas became dominant. The country has produced petroleum for more than a century, and oil remains present in mature onshore fields, offshore areas in the Gulf of Paria and fields off Trinidad’s southern and eastern coasts.
The state-owned Heritage Petroleum Company focuses on crude oil exploration, production and marketing. It operates land and marine assets and works with private companies through joint ventures and lease arrangements. Enhanced oil recovery, well repairs and new drilling programmes are used to extend the life of older fields.
However, Trinidad and Tobago is no longer producing crude at the levels associated with its historic oil industry. Government figures reported in early 2026 placed national crude production below 55,000 barrels per day. Mature reservoirs, maintenance requirements and the cost of developing smaller resources all limit growth. [7]
The closure of the former Petrotrin refinery at Pointe-a-Pierre in 2018 changed the downstream oil system. Trinidad and Tobago continued to produce and export crude, but it began depending more heavily on imported refined fuels for domestic transport. Paria Fuel Trading became responsible for maintaining fuel supplies, storage, terminal operations and regional trading.
The government has since committed to restarting the 165,000-barrel-per-day Guaracara refinery. Discussions with Indian Oil Corporation were taking place in 2026, with officials suggesting that some production could return by the end of the year if a workable commercial agreement is reached. A restart would still require investment, inspections, repairs, crude supply agreements and a clear operating structure. Until that happens, the refinery remains a potential project rather than an active source of fuel. [7]
Oil therefore has three separate roles in Trinidad and Tobago: domestic crude production, exports through marine terminals, and a possible return to local refining. Its importance is smaller than that of natural gas, but it remains tied to employment, transport security and industrial activity in southern Trinidad.
A Power Grid Built Almost Entirely Around Gas
For decades, electricity generation in Trinidad and Tobago depended almost completely on natural gas. Domestic gas allowed the country to avoid the fuel-oil and diesel dependence found in many other Caribbean electricity systems. It also supported relatively low electricity prices for households and businesses.
Major generating facilities include the 720-megawatt Trinidad Generation Unlimited combined-cycle plant at Union Estate and PowerGen stations at Point Lisas and Penal. Gas turbines can respond to changing demand, while combined-cycle equipment captures heat from gas turbines to produce additional electricity through steam generation. This improves efficiency compared with older simple-cycle plants. [8]
The Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission, commonly known as T&TEC, is the country’s sole transmission and distribution utility. It purchases power from generators and delivers it through the national network. Large substations and high-voltage transmission lines connect generation centres in central and southern Trinidad with Port of Spain, industrial customers and other areas.
Tobago has a smaller and more isolated system. The Cove Power Station can use natural gas or diesel and has been expanded to support local reliability. Tobago’s electricity requirements are closely connected to tourism, public services and the need to maintain power across communities that are spread along a narrow and sometimes difficult landscape.
Gas-based electricity has offered clear advantages, but it has also created a hidden economic cost. Gas used in power stations cannot be sold as LNG or directed to petrochemical plants. Low electricity prices can also reduce the reason for consumers to invest in efficiency, rooftop solar or modern cooling systems.
The power-sector question is therefore not whether Trinidad and Tobago can generate enough electricity. It is whether electricity can be produced with less gas, fewer emissions and a more flexible grid.
Brechin Castle Marks the First Real Break With Gas-Only Electricity
The Brechin Castle Solar Farm represents the most important change in Trinidad and Tobago’s electricity mix in decades. In July 2025, the project transmitted its first electricity to the T&TEC substation at Brechin Castle. The initial southern section was designed to increase gradually to 40 megawatts, while the completed solar farm is designed to provide up to 92 megawatts of alternating-current capacity. [9]
The project is owned by a partnership involving bp, Shell and the National Gas Company. It was built near Couva, close to the Point Lisas industrial area and existing grid infrastructure. Its location allows solar electricity to enter a part of the grid that already serves major industrial and population centres.
Brechin Castle is part of the wider Project Lara concept, which also includes a proposed 20-megawatt solar development at Orange Grove. Together, the two sites were planned to provide about 112 megawatts of capacity. The wider project is expected to produce roughly 300,000 megawatt-hours of electricity in a typical year when fully developed. [10]
Solar power has a special value in Trinidad and Tobago. Replacing gas-fired electricity does not only reduce emissions. It can release natural gas for ammonia, methanol, LNG or other uses that may earn more export revenue. Renewable electricity can therefore support the traditional energy industry while gradually changing it.
Trinidad and Tobago’s second national climate commitment includes a target of obtaining 30 percent of electricity generation from renewable sources by 2030. Reaching that level will require more than one solar farm. It will need additional projects, updated grid rules, energy storage, faster approvals and a stronger market for private renewable generation. [11]
Rooftop solar may also become more important for homes, commercial buildings, schools and public facilities. However, very low electricity tariffs have historically weakened the financial case for customers to install their own systems. Tariff design and rules for selling electricity back to the grid will influence how quickly small-scale solar grows.
Wind, Hydrogen and Carbon Capture Fit the Existing Industrial Base
Solar is the most developed renewable energy source in Trinidad and Tobago, but it is not the only option. The government has also supported wind measurement and resource assessment programmes, including studies intended to produce reliable data for future onshore wind development.
Tobago’s Atlantic-facing coast and some eastern areas of Trinidad may offer useful wind resources, although any commercial project would need to consider land access, grid connections, hurricane-resistant engineering, environmental impacts and local support. Offshore wind would require even larger investment and would compete with the country’s established offshore oil and gas sector for marine space and technical resources.
Hydrogen has received attention because it could connect renewable energy with the existing petrochemical industry. Trinidad and Tobago already has the pipelines, ports, chemical plants and workforce needed to handle hydrogen-based products. Renewable electricity could eventually be used to produce green hydrogen, which could then support lower-carbon ammonia or methanol.
The difficulty is scale. Producing enough green hydrogen for major industrial plants would require far more renewable electricity than Trinidad and Tobago currently generates. Early projects are more likely to demonstrate technology or supply part of an industrial facility than to replace natural gas across Point Lisas.
Carbon capture, utilisation and storage may be another route. Carbon dioxide from ammonia, LNG and other industrial operations could be captured and stored in geological formations or used in industrial processes. Trinidad and Tobago’s offshore experience and knowledge of underground reservoirs could support this work. Yet carbon capture will only become significant if projects receive financing, clear regulation and reliable long-term storage plans.
These options are attractive because they do not require Trinidad and Tobago to abandon its industrial identity. They would use existing energy knowledge to produce lower-carbon products for changing international markets.
Coal and Nuclear Power Have No Meaningful Role
Coal has no meaningful place in Trinidad and Tobago’s energy system. The country does not operate coal-fired power stations, does not have an important coal-mining industry and does not depend on coal for national electricity generation. Natural gas became the preferred thermal fuel because it was locally available, easier to transport through pipelines and less carbon-intensive than coal.
Small quantities of coal products may appear in trade or specialised industrial uses, but coal is not part of the country’s electricity strategy. A future coal power programme would make little economic sense when Trinidad and Tobago already has gas infrastructure and growing access to solar power.
Trinidad and Tobago also has no nuclear power stations and is not developing a commercial nuclear power programme. Its electricity system is relatively small, while gas plants and renewable projects can be added in smaller units and with lower initial costs. A conventional nuclear reactor would require a large investment, specialised regulation, long construction periods and extensive emergency and waste-management systems.
The country has been a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency since 2012. Its involvement with nuclear technology is connected mainly to peaceful applications in medicine, agriculture, food safety, industry and environmental research rather than electricity generation. [12]
Small modular reactors could receive more global attention in the future, but there is currently no strong economic or policy reason for nuclear power to become part of the Trinidad and Tobago energy mix. For the foreseeable future, the national debate will remain centred on gas, solar, wind, efficiency and industrial decarbonisation.
Geography Links Trinidad to Offshore Gas and Tobago to Island Resilience
Trinidad and Tobago’s two main islands have different energy roles. Trinidad contains the major population centres, industrial estates, pipelines, ports and power stations. Most oil and gas operations are also linked to Trinidad, especially its southern, eastern and northwestern coasts.
The island’s position beside Venezuela places it close to some of the Caribbean’s largest hydrocarbon resources. Cross-border fields create opportunities for additional gas supply, but they also connect energy planning to diplomacy, sanctions and international approvals. Manatee can be developed within Trinidad and Tobago’s waters, while other possible projects involving Venezuelan gas require more complex political arrangements.
Tobago has a smaller economy based more heavily on tourism, services and local commerce. Its energy priorities include reliable electricity, resilient distribution lines and reduced dependence on backup diesel. Solar panels, battery storage and smaller renewable systems may be especially useful for hotels, hospitals, water facilities and remote communities.
Both islands face climate and infrastructure risks. Industrial sites, ports, pipelines and substations near the coast may be exposed to flooding, erosion and stronger rainfall events. Energy resilience therefore includes more than finding new gas. It also requires protecting the physical assets that move fuel and electricity.
Energy Security Means Finding More Gas While Using Less of It
For many countries, energy security means reducing fuel imports. Trinidad and Tobago faces a different problem. It produces its own gas, but it has built more industrial demand than recent production can fully supply.
The immediate answer is new offshore development. Cypre, Mento, Manatee and future exploration projects can support electricity, LNG and petrochemicals. Faster project approvals and upgrades to pipelines and receiving facilities will be important if new discoveries are to reach the market quickly.
The longer-term answer is to use natural gas more carefully. Solar and wind can reduce the amount burned for electricity. More efficient power plants can produce the same electricity with less fuel. Energy-efficiency standards can reduce demand from cooling, lighting and industrial equipment. Methane control can prevent valuable gas from escaping during production and transport.
Trinidad and Tobago must also decide which uses of gas create the greatest national value. Supplying every plant at full capacity may not always be possible. LNG exports, ammonia production, methanol production and electricity generation respond to different prices and contracts. Gas allocation will remain both an economic and political issue.
The Future of Trinidad and Tobago Energy
Trinidad and Tobago’s energy future will not be a simple move away from oil and gas. The country has too much infrastructure, employment and public revenue connected to hydrocarbons for a rapid exit to be realistic. Natural gas will remain central, especially if new offshore projects can restore production.
The more likely path is a mixed strategy. New gas will support existing industries, while solar and possibly wind reduce the power sector’s use of that gas. Hydrogen, carbon capture and cleaner petrochemicals may help Point Lisas compete in markets with stricter carbon rules. Oil production will continue from mature fields, and the proposed refinery restart could return part of the downstream oil business.
The central challenge is to convert an older gas-based model into a broader energy economy. Trinidad and Tobago already has the ports, industrial sites, engineers and commercial experience. Its success will depend on whether it can direct those strengths toward both new hydrocarbon supply and lower-carbon energy.
