Young Questions Gas Allocation as Nutrien and Methanex Plants Shut Down

Young Questions Gas Allocation as Nutrien and Methanex Plants Shut Down

Former energy minister Stuart Young is demanding that the Government disclose its natural-gas allocation strategy, claiming that a policy change has taken place while major downstream plants have ceased operations.

Young raised the issue at the conclusion of an extensive presentation on Trinidad and Tobago’s energy sector.

He claimed that, without a formal announcement, the Government has changed the country’s gas-allocation policy.

Young pointed to the shutdown of Nutrien and Methanex plants at Point Lisas while questioning where available natural gas is currently being directed.

He argued that the Government appears to be prioritising gas for LNG and potentially for new projects being promoted by the administration.

However, Young did not present independent evidence during the cited portion of his address establishing that a specific Government policy decision directly caused the Nutrien and Methanex shutdowns.

Instead, he challenged the administration and the National Gas Company to disclose the policy.

“Who are you selling our gas to? What price are you selling our gas at? And what is your future intention for the gas for Trinidad and Tobago?” Young asked.

The former minister said those questions become increasingly important as Trinidad and Tobago considers additional gas-dependent investments.

Earlier in his presentation, he questioned the natural-gas requirements of the proposed steel operation and potential artificial-intelligence data centres, which would require electricity and therefore potentially increase pressure on the country’s energy supply.

Young also challenged the Government to identify energy-sector initiatives conceived entirely since it assumed office, accusing the administration of taking credit for projects and negotiations initiated under the former PNM government.

He ended by returning to another longstanding energy issue — the future of the Pointe-a-Pierre refinery.

Young questioned the status of efforts to restart the facility and asked why relatively little had recently been heard about reopening plans despite previous public statements and overseas engagements concerning the refinery.

The refinery’s future, Young argued, remains another area where the population requires clearer information.

His assertion that the Government changed the national gas-allocation policy, and his suggested connection between that alleged change and plant shutdowns, represent claims made during his presentation rather than independently established conclusions.