Kammie Holder, Insurance Executive and Advocacy Director Future Centre Trust
Public spirited Barbadians have been voicing concern in growing numbers about government’s plan to locate a Waste to Energy Plasma Gasification Plant at Vacluse, St. St. Thomas. Environmental advocate Kammie Holder of the Future Trust has been leading the charge and is responsible for the Facebook page Bajans Against $700M Waste to Energy Plant. BU joins with Kammie to invite all civic minded people every where to join the cause. Where there is little transparency by government it requires the citizenry to agitate and participate. What is DEMOCRACY! #20000strongbarbados
Having received no information from the Government of Barbados regarding its proposal to develop a Waste to Energy Facility at the Mangrove Pond Landfill in St. Thomas in the coming months, the people are taking a stand to inform the Government that they do not want the proposed $700M Plasma Gasification Plant on the island.
Our concerns are:
Solar energy is clean & affordable.
In addition to all the environmental problems there’s one issue that reeks of corruption which must be explained, and that is the process of awarding the contract. When did this contract go to public tender? And if it didn’t why not?
The 34-turbine wind farm is expected to provide enough energy for about 32,000 homes.
Hants June 27, 2015 at 11:47 AM #
The 34-turbine wind farm is expected to provide enough energy for about 32,000 homes..
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Does this include those almost 32000 homes built by government and remain mostly unoccupied in Coverly, Church Village St Philip, Constant St George, Lancaster St James, the Grotto, Dalkeith?
34 wind turbine are about 2-3 MW each. Assuming the larger number that is about 100 MW. The whole Bdos grid is 200 MW, so that much wind will introduce a lot of instability in the grid as you can only count on a third at any given time and it goes away in an instant when the wind stops. I agree solar is a better bet for the island.
@ Konlieman
I agree solar is a better bet for the island.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
…and we should just stay home and sleep when the damn nights come and the sun goes down….
No Bajan aint gine want any wind farm, landfill or waste to energy plant near them. Once there is transparency, I support the wasye to energy plant. Place it in coastal St. Lucy where the ’emissions’ can go out to sea.
@Kevin
Is the issue if the WtE plant about emissions or residue from the gasification process.
Yardfowls squared.
@Clone
You have not addressed the point raised our government is responsible for commissioning the EIA.
Minister Lowe indicated during his budget ‘contribution’ was close to being completed.
I am totally against the waste to energy plant for it will have a devastating effect on our small environment. Where will they dump the slag that remains after the burning? What about the toxins that can escape form the best built filters in the chimneys. At least there is still time to protest because the Environmental Impact study seems not to be have been done yet.
Since the character of Minister Lowe is as shady as the devil that rides theology saddle on his back, there is no telling how far down the rabbit hole he has committed this project. What the Mottley bombard has revealed may just be one part of the bad with a three quarters remainer waiting to come to the forefront. As a result of the shadiness of this deal, Lowe’s obvious kicks backs in the form of a car and inflated prices for parts, and the fact that this government continues to operate in cloak, the SSS is calling for the instant dismissal of all those who have committed to this potential night mare and the complete abandonment of the Waste to Energy Plant. A recvcling programme should be pursued with revitalized interest. I ask the people of Barbados to petition as well for the removal of Dennis Lowe and this government out of office.
@ Colonel and Konkie. fyi
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/nova-scotia-achieves-milestone-level-of-wind-power-generation-1.3129623
If Oliver Headley couldn’t convince them I’m sure I can’t, but I must at least state my reservations about this plant on environmental grounds and my preference for solar energy.
As for the garbage, recycling should solve that problem. If the government provided recycling bins in the neighbourhoods and organized collection it might prove more cost effective than they think.
As for the corruption, if the allegations are in fact true these ministers are indeed more myopic than the average brass bowl. Do they plan to leave this country along with all of their loved ones? Ultimately somebody they care about will be affected.
Is it just me or is there a bit of silence surrounding the accident on the highway at the entrance to the Villages at Coverley where a mother hit the island (protruding in the shoulder) flipped her car killing her 11 year old son?
Does the entrance at the Villages at Coverley as presently designed and configured have TCPO approval????????????
One must assume approval was received.
Has the EIA been done already by the government? I am not sure and if it was done to give permission then I am still against the project starting
Oh Barbados, How I weep for you!
God has given to our nation the sargassum seaweed to exploit. What has been our reaction to this free offer? You guessed right – rejection, impotence and one of hopelessness.
Seaweed has been exploited throughout the ages by man. But in a Barbados governed by some of the dumbest Negros on mother earth we choose to overlook nature in favour of expensive “white heat” technology.
Wherever you look in this world there is a debate raging on renewable energies. One gets the idea that this government has little understanding of this subject and like a child whose mind is developing remains easily swayed.
The article below debates how seaweed may be used as bio-fuel.
Seaweed biofuels: a green alternative that might just save the planet
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/jul/01/seaweed-biofuel-alternative-energy-kelp-scotland
Whilst the second paper dates back from 1973 and was produced by: The Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
Title: Production, trade and utilization of seaweeds and seaweed products…
http://www.fao.org/docrep/005/ac860e/AC860E01.htm
@Are-we-there–yet
Interesting observation, wondered why the PM was so deliberate to describe the very discussed indiscretions of his ministers. It also shows he has his ears to the under ground.
Amazing how similar this furor over Cahill is reminiscent of the 3S company and flyovers. At least President Of 3S Barbados Limited Jonathan Danos brought experience to the table.
@Rasta R
You need to start putting some concrete info on the table.
@ Drone Overhead June 27, 2015 at 2:18 PM #
Is it just me or is there a bit of silence surrounding the accident on the highway at the entrance to the Villages at Coverley where a mother hit the island (protruding in the shoulder) flipped her car killing her 11 year old son?
Does the entrance at the Villages at Coverley as presently designed and configured have TCPO approval????????????
……………………………….
I logged on to BU specially to raise this issue.
Ever since this garden was planted in the highway, I have been raising this issue on BU along with some others and the danger that this potted island posed. I pass there daily and cringe every time. The plants can be planted at the left side of the entrance but not as a divider in the highway.
Now that a little boy who just passed for the school of his dreams and who will never get to go has lost his life……… now maybe something will be done before another person loses their life.
The developers of this project seem to have a lot of power in this country so nothing would be done. I think I heard one of the marketeers of the project on VOB last week saying that the gas station will be opened in two weeks time.
How do these people get so much power over a government elected by some who do not care if tomorrow comes……….those they raked up and paid for the vote at the eleventh hour.
By the way, David do you know what has become of the cement plant at Brighton? Things are very quiet on that side lately!
David; re. your 2:36 pm post, you said:-
Minister Lowe indicated during his budget ‘contribution’ was close to being completed.
That’s interesting!
Wunnah ever wondered why an MoU and agreement would be signed before an EIA was in hand and thoroughly discussed?
The answer will be blowing in the toxic wind if the Cahill Plasma Gasifier ever gets off the ground, and it won’t be pretty.
Exclaimer;
But I’m certain that our people in Biological Sciences research at UWI and at Coastal Conservation, etc. are already aware of the possibilities of using the sargassum weeds for biofuel (for vehicles). Also, don’t be surprised if the soon to be started Cahill-Plasma gasification people puts forward the seaweed as a major feedstock for that factory and the production of energy therefrom.
Wasn’t there a think tank on identifying approaches for the utilization of sargassum sea weeds recently? Anyone knows what came out of it?
An integrated scheme growing seaweed in certain beach areas allied with sensible implementation of the River tamarind project seems to be a possibility that could work miracles for our economy and reduce our needs for fuel drastically. Wonder if such will ever see the light of day?
But, of course, these days it seems that there have to be massive quid pro quos involved to get such projects off the ground. We perhaps need to retain the tainted four and import another Clare Cowan to get it off the ground and not an Oliver Headley, LOL.
The EIA for this plant isn’t even started
The basic initial EIA for the general site was completed by burns and issued to Cahill back in 2014
This Cowan woman is oblivious to the requirements of a site specific EIA and is bullshitting people including her potential investors saying they have it done .
I sat with their project director Kevin ODonnell back in February and went through the process and at that time he was the only person from that organisation who understood what was really needed to comply with the law and the environmental requirements
WHERE is he now ???? Rumour has it he fell foul of the bitch from hell who didn’t want to hear the truth about what was needed to comply with the law and make the plant work.
If anyone out there has his contact details it may be a good idea to get his perspective on this whole scam !!!!
The Cowan woman was to be back on the island with another investor now where is she and where are they
Another pack of lies from her drunken mouth.
When are the government going to call a halt to this carpet bagger!!!!!!
Anyone can fool these morons, Rasta R!
Remember the Stinkliar said that some days when he arrives at his office, he cannot get in, there is a long line of people sitting waiting to have meetings with him……..Kellman also said that investors are falling over themselves wanting to invest in Barbados……..we wonder what has become of all this investment? Investors probably see these morons for what they are…….incompetent! Anyone can pull wool over their eyes.
MAM’s revelations floored them……..Richard Sealy panicked, he was all over the place and seemed shell shocked that his colleagues could be so gluttonous…………..since then I have heard Stinkliar say that the project is on the PM’s desk and he will make the decision.
Let’s hope it stays on Fumble’s desk. Fumble is grieving (by the way, my deepest sympathy, Mr Fumble) so he may not be in a frame of mind to work.
Somewhere amongst the large number of blogs on this subject on BU I think I suggested that the statement that the project cannot start without the OK of the PM was actually the death knell of the project especially because of his customary inertia.
I still think so but in addition, on reflection, I think that the PM might have some serious concerns that may lead to the scuttling of the project and the signatories, as he appeared to have left some hints that he was somewhat bemused about MAM’s revelations and in his heart of hearts might be giving them some credence. Anyone else recalls seeing him on TV in his speech on the budget calling out each one of the four and detailing / repeating the charges against them in a manner that suggested that he was sending them a message to straighten up (eg. they call you the 10% man, etc)
I suspect that the Cahill project will go nowhere.
Hope that it doesn’t rain tomorrow night and that I can go to hear MAM’s update on the Cahill scam at the planned political meeting.
I sincerely hope the PM takes the time to void this travesty
To have this Cowan woman brought down to where she belongs in the gutter would send the right signal to the rest of us who have to do an honest days work to make ends meet and not fronting a fraud using a penny company with zero balance sheet and nothing but bulldhit behind it
Would you give a sweetheart deal worth $700million to a vegetable stall owner ???
I put it to the government that the actual net worth of this Cowan woman is less than some of our hard working business owners on the island
She is using consultants and other scammers to sell her penny company CEB to investors for millions (she hopes ) to
Pay for the support of her scam .
15 months later we are no further ahead in the design and regulatory approval of the plasma plant than the day the sweetheart was signed .
The Cowan woman is a slick fraudster of that there is no doubt.
David
The only experience the Cowan woman has in this arena is what she learned on the internet
She claims all sorts of industry experience that’s all bogus she is a fraud of that there is no doubt.
Importing feedstock from other countries is a recipe for the spread of disease. Furthermore, it is much too unclear exactly what emissions will be involved, and what sort of ash or other residue will be produced. Let’s take recycling seriously as a first step. The cost of oil is likely to stay low for a long time making plasma generation costs less efficient and our children will inherit a huge smelly white elephant .
Otto Simon gone
E&Y gone
Project director #1 gone
Project director #2 gone
Personal Assistant gone
AlterNRG no where to be seen
Finance director non existent
Phantom investors !!! Never a name mentioned
Stantec unpaid
And on and on and on….
What was the projected cost of the prison before it started and what was it when finished? Same for Polyclinic in St John, the high courts, National Housing building in Warrens, and the list goes on. This latest “we’re living above our means” undertaking has moved from $300M to $700M so far and not a speck of garbage has been processed as yet. We will be laughing stock of the Caribbean and wider world if we let these highway robbers get away with this.
Rasta R;
I see that you responded to David’s post of 6:55 pm and there seems to be ring of truth in much of your list.
But I would suggest that the things you hint at should be weighted with some verifiable facts i.e. be more “concrete”
Who is Otto Simon? and does his “going” that mean that Cowan has essentially failed in her shopping around to sell the project?
What is E&Y?
Any verifiable facts that indicate that Cowan’s project directors and personal assistant are “gone”?
AlterNRG appears to be indeed “gone” since it has been sold to a Chinese company and does not mention the Cahill-Barbados project in its portfolio of projects.
Some names have been mentioned in the leaked BLP documents of the “phantom investors”. Have they also dropped out of the project?
Stantec unpaid; A rep was in the papers about a week ago. Have they dropped out now?
Your revelations, if they can be corroborated, suggest that the bottom might be falling out of the Cahill scam. But if so, should the seeming miscreants in Government go scot free? Is there a charge for treasonable behaviour in our statute books or can Stuart continue to pretend that none of this happened and get the brass bowl electors to believe him?
@ Rasta R,
Your “hints” may not be concrete but they are believable.
All need to visit their website before continuing the discussion.
http://www.cahill-energy.com/
Reading through the lines and the ramblings of the PM when he spoke, despite all the bravado defending the said ministers, I think that he clearly did not know the details of this sordid deal. He was taken by surprise, so he had to put up the front……..that was my take.
How could the minister of finance get three colleagues to sign this deal without the PM’s signature? Surely something of this magnitude the PM should have been apprised of. No wonder it is now sitting on his desk.
Whatever happened to the deal that David Estwick said that the Stinkliar was sitting on and he DE wrote to the PM and for weeks, DE complained that the PM would not respond to his request for he the PM to speak to the Stinkliar. We were then informed here on BU that a company was allegedly formed by the Stinkliar with a knight and a poser for a financial analyst as directors.
We need answers! Enough is enough!
The point is made in today’s press, already made by BU times over, how was CEO Clare Cowan able to announce a start date of September with said date contradicted by Sinckler.
Transparency required!
The Leader of the Opposition destroyed the Cahill Energy project with her expose and interrogation in Parliament. The first causality after the Budget reply of the LOO was Cahill’s local partners, JADA………they decided the heat was too hot (no pun intended) and they bailed out in at full speed. The Cahill Energy waste-of-money project is DEAD and the only uncertainty now is whether Clare Cowen can flog the sale of the company to an unsuspecting buyer thereby securing a pay-day for herself and her friends.
Otto Simon were the owners engineer based in the Uk and were at the townhall meeting .they are no longer part of Cahill’s technical team and do not represent cshill anymore. there is nothing on their website on them working for Cahill and when asked all they would say is “no comment”
E&Y are Ernst and Young and were involved over a year agoooks like they were replaced by Jacobs Securities out of Toronto .
@ are-we-there-yet June 27, 2015 at 4:21 PM,
Why would a nation with a population of 280,000 require a waste-to-energy plant?
Waste-to-energy (WTE) plants have been in operation for a number of decades within industrialised countries. Barbados is NOT an industrialised country. It is a “sub” developing country with a tiny economy.
We have allowed manufacturers and retailers to develop a packaging industry which we directly and indirectly pay for whether it is at the point of sale or through higher taxes. Someone has to call a halt to this foolishness. Go back thirty years when packaging was minimal compared to today’s levels.
We are prepared to waste 700 million plus on a useless WTE plant, whilst ignoring the invasion of a seaweed army which is menacing our tourist industry. Sadly our government and the UWI are both incapable of coming up with suitable solutions.
Surely the Cowan woman sell on a non project and even if she can convince unsuspecting investors surely the government would have to agree to the novation of the contract.
To show u how clue less this woman is she declares the project will start construction in September !!!! She is as crazy as they say she is
@ exclaimer
“We are prepared to waste 700 million plus on a useless WTE plant, whilst ignoring the invasion of a seaweed army which is menacing our tourist industry. Sadly our government and the UWI are both incapable of coming up with suitable solutions.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
…and this comes after wasting millions on Four Seasons, Barrack Building, a Billion-dollar -prison, Almond, Greenland, A new Water Authority Building (while leaks increase), and countless shiite as DOCUMENTED annually by the Auditor General…..
SURELY this describes the concept of BRASS BOWLS led by Jack Asses…..
@Bush Tea
I f you read todays newspaper you should have picked up the MOF suggesting the country has no solutions to deal with the seaweed problem.
Next!
http://www.cahill-energy.com/
There is no substance to this website
There is no Cahill no employees no history no experience. Smoke and mirrors they have done nothing but create this illusion on a website
Shame on us for allowing this to become a Barbados laughing stock
Rasta R
Why would Clare Cowen need a novation of the contract? She need only sell the company that holds the agreements (power purchase and implementation) or the holding company based in Channel Islands.
I hope the government was clever enough to put a novation clause in the contracts
If not then I hope there is a company in good stead clause in there
Isn’t a novation clause a standard feature of a contract of this type?
On 28 June 2015 at 12:02, Barbados Underground wrote:
>
RastaR
When the story of the Cahill blot on Barbados’ name is fully writ I think your role on BU as an insider who dared to spill some of the important beans will be appreciated.
I asked, some weeks ago, the simple question of who you were representing, (i.e. Government, JADA, the Williams Group or the people of Barbados?).
Your recent declarations suggest that it was probably not Jada or the current Government.
Bravo to you! Whoever you are I think you are a true patriot.
It most certainly should be
As should a bringing the gob into disrepute clause be in there
And as this is certainly the case
We should be invoking both if they are in there
Definition of Novation clause
http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/novation-agreement.html
@ Are-We and Prodigal. you both speak to the matter of PM Stuart’s lack of knowledge as suggested by his comments on this matter. You both also seem to be experienced officials on Bdos Gov’t matters so surely you raise these questions to highlight the complete incredulity of such a scenario.
Of course, as one of you alluded to, there is absolutely no practical way that the leader of this small country could be ignorant of a project that is expected to cost an initial $$ 3/4 Billion and eventually impact the economy in ways profound and mostly unknown.
Corruption like most things in life comes in two basic varieties: explicit actions deliberately commissioned to achieve the stated goal and on the flip side those acts of omission.
It seems rather evident that Mr Stuart’s approach is nothing more than his own acts of omission. A particularly wonderful manipulation of the process both internal and public. There are many ways to skin a cat as they say.
Him being ‘informed’ by Mia Mottley’s expose is even more incredulous but I suppose that we need to play this game and he wants the people to believe that he will be the arbiter of reason and good sense.
Strategy, political gamesmanship, acts of omission or maybe the most practical way to stop a juggernaut that was rolling way to fast.
Of course the project will be stopped, now.
This PM at minimum seems to use the public anger to do the deeds he can’t do directly against his corrupt ministers. Why he can’t stop them himself, a la Owen, is the $$ 3/4 Billion question.
@Dee Word
Does Stuart have a coat tail like Arthur had?
Novation clauses say what the stronger party wants them to say
Hopefully the goverent lawyer knew what to insist on in the contract language
Racketeers
Hahaha I just look at the website. This look like a quick put together by a College Student or one of her children. I would love to know how much money this woman promise to give Dennis Dirty Lowe if the deal is sealed. At 700 million start up and adding the cost overruns, Dirty Lowe and those who are part of the ”Hive of Deals”, will collect millions in secret accounts. I would not be surprise if Jepter Ince, Michael Carrington et el are not part of this deal. What will it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul. Lowe Lowe Lowe
De Ingrunt Word;
PM Stuart is like no other past PM!
He completely delegated the running of the country to his MInisters.
He did not want to know what was happening and they obliged while going on self seeking frolics.
The other interpretation of his seeming inaction on so many fronts is that he indeed knew what was happening and turned a blind eye for temporary protection of his Party while he was at the hellum.
You asked why couldn’t he proactively stop them?
Could it be that he is not as replete with integrity as he and the DLP seeks to portray? The alternative to that solution to the Stuart conundrum points inexorably to a personality that eschews reality and we all know how such persons are termed.
Barbados was doomed from the time DT took up office and introduced his venal band to the Public.
Wunna don’t think that SBA could have all rights to the seaweed for its operations to resell to customers as fertilizer. They should be the ones collecting and processing it. But no they want people to bring it to them for a paltry sum and pay them to process it. What a bunch of idiots! They need to bring back on all the people they laid off from the NCC to assist in the clean up if only on a temporary basis. They seem not to want to protect their Tourist investment BUT want to build a state of the art sugar factory to grind rocks.
If Mia Mottley had come out in support of a waste to energy plant, some of the “Instant Environmentalists” on this blog would be singing a different tune.
Yardfowls Squared.
Not everyone can be on the fifa board they have to find their own niche, asking questions of certain politicians is highly racist and must stop if they are to focus on the job at hand . Remember “when buying and selling is the job of legislators the first thing bought is the legislators”
David
Unless the GOB inserted a No Change of Ownership clause in the agreements then Clare Cowen could easily achieve her objection of selling the company at any time by simply selling/transferring the shares (Cahill Energy or its parent company) to whomever, even to someone from China, Thailand or Korea.
There is a reason these plants are mainly built in Asia………………..VERY WEAK ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS AND REGULATIONS.
@Bajanfuhlife
It was social media asking for transparency in the Cahill pact long before MAM entered the fray. And the issue is about transparency.
And what is your point?
Is it true that Mia Mottley was just arrested by police for allegedly molesting a 13 year old girl?
Fractured BLP
Despite you praying for that to be true unfortunately I think Mia is going to be around long enough to be this DLP’s worst nightmare.
@Mitch
Cahill is the the DLP’s 3S. Same scenario playing out.
I am hearing that Cahill and its onshore partners have made it a far more sophisticated transaction, much more so than 3S ever was. At least with 3S there was a National need for the project, Cahill is completely different kettle of fish.
Maybe the way out is to prove a default or breach of contract on behalf of Cahill
It’s been 15 months since the signing
Surely there was a program of works agreed ???
Nothing has been done since the signing
There’s a smoking gun here some where
Hey Rasta man
Seems yur rite. Caills project manager Kevin o’donell was fired by email in early febuary cause he wuldnt cowtow to her hiness the queen of cahill. she didn’t even have the nerve to do it to his face.
he was on the island for meetings and she left the guy stranded there. what a coward she is. I might have his contact details. if I can find em I will get em for you
as for her personal assistant he walked out on her when she was in Barbados a couple of weeks ago. he didn’t want to be a part of her lies and cheating ways. he had enuf of her drunken antiks and couldn’t put up with her anymore. Aparantly he worked for her 15 years ago and went back to her when she started cahill. guess he didn’t get enuf of he bull shiite the first time.
Good fer him fer getting out and letting her no enuf is enuf. he deserves a metal for putting up wit her Shiite.
one of her exes told me she is working alone now wit no one to do her dirty work but herself.
The Prime Minister according to him preferred not to dignify Mottley’s Cahill and other requests for clarify with an answer. If the Cahill project is stopped it will vindicate Mottley wouldn’t it? And we know the PM is driven by decision making of the political kind.
The pm need to put aside party politics and protect the people of the island from this Cahill fiasco however he handles it he has a duty to the people to protect us from carpet baggers like this Cowan woman
THE SUSTAINED INVASION of local beaches by Sargassum seaweed has forced the Government to all but declare a state of national emergency.
– See more at: http://www.nationnews.com/nationnews/news/69247/seaweed-downright-scary#sthash.uQtsL4Cf.dpuf
The greater lesson from the Cahill fiasco is the absence of proper governance and oversight. If one is to believe the stories in the public arena, CS and DB are claiming this is a Dennis Lowe deal, he is responsible for it……….from conception right thru to delivery.
@RastaR
Where at any point since the Fruendel Stuart became PM that he showed he cared about the people of Barbados? If you can give me one example I will send you my full name and a picture.,
Meanwhile, Dr. Denis S. Lowe, Minister of Environment was reported as saying: “Cahill Energy offers us a real solution to becoming energy independent, while at the same time reducing our massive oil import bill. Cahill Energy has brought a Waste to Energy option to the Government of Barbados that is far superior to any other we have examined. We believe that our country will be changed forever as a result.” (JMB)
“……….. We believe that our country will be changed forever as a result.”
Lets hope Minister Denis Lowe does not get his way, we could all end up living in a Barbados we don’t recognise and where might not be able to get away from the environmental and health consequences of this dissaster waiting to happen.
Sunshine. Sunny shine…..
Maybe the PM will read this and do his first act of duty for the people
We can only hope and pray he sees the error of his ministers ways and pull the plug on cahill before we all have to live with their folly.
Hey RastaR
As promised. You can reech Kevin O’Donell at kevodon@gmail.com
shure he will be able to give you insite on cahill and its money grubbing ceo
Who is the China Waste Energy Group
https://barbadosunderground.files.wordpress.com/2015/06/clairecowan-ceo-cahill.jpg?w=603&h=903
Has anyone seen her lately
Only we are to blame for the persons we put in parliament since independence. This Cahill Barbados and Cahill Energy Barbados as well as the role Dr Denis Lowe is playing must be subjected to full scrutiny for this must not be another Greenland. Word making the rounds in the international capital market is Cahill Plasma Gasification Project is a sweetheart thanks to the generous concessions such as price increase guarantee in the electricity cost to the consumer to reflect increased maintenance cost and operations. In case the cabinet ministers and senate don`t know a Plasma Gasification Plant has a high maintenance cost and are prone to breakdown.
Now this is unbelievable, I was also told that Cahill negotiated for and got a price guarantee for a price increase every three years. If it smells it definitely stinks of poor governance. How can then the Government promise cheaper electricity. How then if Cahill is saying that withing 10 years they can produce 29% of the electricity needed how will Barabados Light & Power recover its capital cost?
Will this plant be exempt from the Fair Trading Commission regulations or that was another concession? This is one fiasco that will not die a 7 day death.
Everyone can agree that Barbados needs many Billion dollar capital projects bur not ones which are less than transparent when they are cheaper and more enviromentally friendly alternatives. Clean Governance like Freedom has a personal price and we must all be willing to pay the price.
Let us not forget that Barbados will be extracting oil in the near future.
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/ng-interactive/2015/jun/25/brazils-gamble-on-deep-water-oil-guanabara-bay
These monster gasifers and their exit duct work are lined with refractory brick
The maintenance on the gasifer is very dependant on how the gasifer works and is operated (not a proven application at this size)
The repair or replacement of the refsctory means the gasifier has to be taken out of service which means a cooling down period a repair period and a refiring period once repair is made. my cslcs suggest this could take 45 to 50 days on the gasifier allowing for the curing of the refractory.
What do we do for electricity in the interm??? And that’s just the gasifer !!!
The exit duct work sees the higest temperature so the likelyhood of a blowout is more likely
As the NRG gassifier is a single stage single unit have Cahill or NRG allowed for a spare bottom end ???? I bet not.
The duct work is even a bigger issue if it blows
1. The syngas will be released to the atmosphere
The replacement section of duct work could take months to replace and reline.
People should also know NRG did NOT do the refractory work on the teesvalley project and had nothing to do with the exit duct work Air products did all this work Why????? My guess is NRG couldn’t or wouldn’t guarentee the installation.
Who will own the process guarantees on the system ??????
Due diligence my ass!!!!!!!
Hey RastaR
You are doing great research.
But, please do not use DD’s moniker when referring to gov’t lack of governance.
Due diligence
Sorry
I was talking about the technical due diligence not the DD poster
Looks like MAM has gotten Cahill and WtE on the national agenda.
david
that might be so however where is the information? i don’t see the mou, the purchasing power contract and the implementation agreements.
The reason there is public concern is because the very documents you want To see have been kept away from the public obviously satisfying a NDA. Hopefully it will be leaked!
Where would u put them if they were to be leeked?
Check the top of the page under ‘Confidential Message’. When BU publishes it does so simultaneously on FB, Twitter, LinkedIn.
david
u got some serious capability man. if you get your hands on the agreements before the leader of the opposition then that is testimony to the power of BU
The reason there should be public concern may be environmental.
http://www.dovetailinc.org/workshop_materials/plasma_gasification_presentation.pdf
To add to the environmental issues.
Even though the hazardous waste is fed back into the system there will be a highly toxic mix of concentrated hazardous waste which will ultimately have to be disposed of off island anywhere between 1000- 1500 tonnes per year where does this crap get stored in between being disposed of ??? I’m sure that hasn’t been discussed in the EIA and I’m sure our town and country planner will have an opinion on how much and how long we can store this toxic mess prior to shipping it off to somewhere it can be dealt with
Hants; Did you mean?
“The reason there should be public concern may NOT be environmental.”
Your reference above suggests that Plasma gasification is reasonably safe enviromentally but a number of other, similarly authoritative, reports, suggest otherwise.
The net can provide grist for the mill of all viewpoints.
Look carefully and you will find some reports that are in concert with your comment above.
Indeed, the main problem with the Cahill-GOB project is perhaps the fact that the signatories were willing to gamble with Barbados’ future health, economy and survival.
Any major accident in Barbados would be likely to precipitate dire downstream effects in our water supply, tourism industry, economy and environment. A similar accident in a large developed country could be handled without very significant deleterious effects. In Barbados such an accident would be catastrophic in our mini-island state, dependant on Tourism and with an acquifer based on porous coral stone.
It was total madness for our people to sign on to a project that would place the largest commercial Plasma gasification plant in the world on our little fragile island especially when that island is frantically trying to balance on a knife edge of deleterious factors that could put us all at risk of becoming 21st century Haitis if just a few went wrong.
The signatories (and the PM when he heard about it and did not call a halt) knew not what they were doing and made no effort to find out before other concerns overrode everything.
A figurative pox on all their houses.
?????
Who on the island has operated a plasma plant before???
The cement plant is nowhere near as complex
Will they be imports or will a training programme be put in place
If it ever gets off the ground shouldn’t the training be starting now
Seeing the construction is starting in September
Tongue in cheek 🙂
What is interesting so far is the disregard the government has been showing to citizens who have expressed their right to know more about the WtE project. It is worrying.
AWTY Jun 29th 4.41pm
I recall in the Erskine Sandiford administration MoF David Thompson had made a pact with an English investor to purchase Bushy Park and part of the deal was granting permission for a casino.When PM Sandiford was told this,he went pubic and said ‘over my dead body’.The deal as negotiated by Thompson floundered and was heard of no more.Thompson was always a sneaky,dirty piece ‘o work,not to be trusted,yet OSA allowed Thompson and his leper friend to outfox the fox some 12 years later.Sandy had the last laugh however.He is still around to advise Stuart if he is willing to listen or to act on this WTE project.
What we may be creating is the biggest Lime Kiln in the Caribbean. Dust to Dust and Ashes to Ashes.
David wrote “the disregard the government has been showing”.
This has been the pattern of Barbados governments for the last 50 years.
If they find Investors to spend $700 million to build the WTE plant I would be surprised.
Barbados needs “cash flow” but a WTE plant appears to be an unacceptable (environmental ) risk on a 166 sq. mile island.
Buh doan mine me. I am just a layman writing shite.
Hants, re. your 7:05 comment
Could you hazard a guess as to why the four learned signatories to the MoU, all of them honourable Ministers who have access to the expertise necessary to synthesize and simplify the pros and cons of building a huge Plasma gasification plant on this 166 sq mile island do not even now appear to realise that the risk is environmentally and otherwise unacceptable?
Ignorance?
Greed?
Lack of Patriotism?
Poor advice by Scientists and Senior Government Officials?
All of the above?
https://www.greg.gg/webCompSearchDetails.aspx?id=iqwS70SvL4U=&r=0&crn=&cn=cahill energy&rad=ContainsPhrase&ck=False
According to that, Cahill Energy Limited is a financial products company providing management services.
Articles of incorporation, under the documents tab, should show directors, if anyone is willing to pay for the document from that site.
AWTY 7.29pm
I would hazard a guess and its what OSA opined in 2007…..they are a bunch ‘o wild boys,in a poor rakey parliament.
Mary J. Mahabir, Q.C lex Caribbean Barbados based
Clare Cowan director Toronto based
John Robilliard director. Guernsey based
Why would a Guernsey company have a Barbadian lawyer as a director? However lawyers represent clients. Interedting to see those who are large local clients of the same firm. Coincidence obviously.
Would this be the John Robbilliard listed as a Trust director of Blenheim Group of the same address as Cahill?
It is very unfortunate to see that this kind of “Investment Scams” are taking place in a developed world by fooling the entire tax payers. It is shame for a Government to compromise 30 years of Tax payers earnings to a company destined to pollute the globe by burning the valuable resources.
In solidarity with the people of Barbados who are concerned about future generation, environment and people. Be brave and continue fighting.
We are with you on this.
Thanal Team (www.thanal.co.in) and
Zero Waste Himalaya Network