By Samantha Simon
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APUA has signed a deal with the Seven Seas Water Group to construct two new seawater reverse osmosis plants to boost local water supply.
This comes almost two months after a memorandum of understanding was signed between the state utility provider and the US company in January.
The deal will see Seven Seas invest approximately US$23 million to build and operate the plants adjacent to existing plants at Ffryes Beach and Barnacle Point, before transferring ownership at the end of the 12-year agreement.
The two new plants will contribute a combined total of three million imperial gallons of water each day and are set to be completed in the next seven and 18 months respectively.
APUA’s General Manager John Bradshaw said APUA would invest approximately EC$15 million into the project.
“The issue of a private-public partnership is so important because if APUA had to do this by itself, they would have needed to acquire $70 million and take years for them to get this project to be executed,” he explained.
Minister of Utilities and Energy, Melford Nicholas, said this project is just the first stage in a five-stage plan to improve water distribution across the island. Stage two involves the replacement of older pipes during road maintenance works.
The stages are production, distribution, metering, billing and hydraulics.
Nicholas explained that the metering would be done in phases due to cost, but that it was important to minimise water loss on the commercial level.
“We are trying to eliminate the commercial water losses by implementing new metering systems. This includes automatic metres as well as digitally capable metres so that we can read them in a manner that does not require the manual inspection that we have used in the past, but they are expensive to implement, so we are going to be doing it in phases,” he said.
Nicholas also announced that the pipelines have already been procured, and efforts are now focused on coordinating with the Ministry of Public Works to minimise disruption during the pipe replacement process and facilitate road resurfacing.
“Rehabilitation of the water lines has started and we will do repairs along major routes. We are likely to use HDPE (high-density polyethylene) pipes rather than to go back with the brittle PVC pipes that we have used in the past,” he said.
Minister Nicholas highlighted the Villa and Point areas as among the first they will be looking to begin work in, as well as the Anchorage area where work has already begun.
The new plants will run on liquefied natural gas (LNG), which critics in the international community say cannot be considered a truly greener alternative to fossil fuels.
While it has lower emissions, LNG is primarily made up of methane, a powerful greenhouse gas 80 times more potent than CO2 in the short term and 30 times worse in the long term.
Its status as a green energy source is subject to debate and depends on various factors such as technological advancements, environmental regulations, and the integration of renewable alternatives in the energy mix.
A closer look at LNG:
Transition fuel: LNG is often considered a “transition fuel” because it produces fewer emissions than coal and oil, making it a viable option for reducing carbon emissions in the short to medium term while renewable energy sources are being scaled up. However, its long-term role in a green energy transition is debatable due to the continued release of greenhouse gases.
Methane leakage: One significant concern with LNG is methane leakage during extraction, production, transportation, and distribution. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, with a much higher global warming potential than CO2 over a shorter time frame. Leakage during these processes can offset the benefits of using natural gas as a cleaner fuel.
Water pollution: LNG operations can result in water pollution through accidental spills, leaks, and wastewater discharges. Chemicals used in the LNG production process can contaminate water sources, affecting aquatic ecosystems and potentially harming human health through the consumption of contaminated seafood or water.
Contribution to climate change: Despite being touted as a transition fuel, LNG combustion still releases carbon dioxide, contributing to climate change. While it may produce fewer emissions than coal when burned for electricity generation, LNG’s role in the transition to a low-carbon future remains contentious due to its environmental impacts throughout its lifecycle.
Air pollution: LNG operations emit air pollutants such as nitrogen oxides, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter, which can lead to respiratory problems, cardiovascular diseases, and other health issues in nearby communities. Combustion of LNG for energy generation also releases pollutants into the atmosphere.