The University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) and the University of the West Indies (UWI), St. Augustine recently signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with bpTT commemorating its support for the country's first Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) mapping project, led by both universities.

The project, which seeks to map underground sites that can be used to store captured carbon dioxide (CO2), will form the foundation for assessing the feasibility of using carbon capture and storage as a solution to significantly reduce Trinidad and Tobago's carbon emissions. bpTT has committed $340,000 to the project as well as technical support and access to reservoir data.

CCS technology captures CO2 generated from the production or processing of natural gas and safely stores it in reservoirs underground. CCS could play an important role in helping Trinidad and Tobago meet its global commitments aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Reports from the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have concluded that ambitious goals, far above the current commitments, are required to meet emission reduction targets. CCS has been identified as one of the technologies that is critical to realising this objective. CCS technologies can offset the carbon footprint of fossil fuel consumption while the world transitions towards greener sources of energy.

Professor Prakash Persad, President, UTT, expressed his delight with the progress made thus far with the project, noting that CCS is one of the ways for Trinidad and Tobago to transition to a low carbon future. He stated, "While oil and gas are important to Trinidad and Tobago's economy, reducing our carbon footprint is becoming increasingly imperative for the future. Integrating new technologies such as this into our energy exports is key to sustaining our competitiveness on the global stage and ensuring future generations are less vulnerable to the effects of climate change."

UTT remains dedicated to the socioeconomic transformation of Trinidad and Tobago and the development of society through the advancement and application of relevant and innovative research.

Professor Prakash Persad, President, UTT, signs the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) commemorating bpTT's support for Trinidad and Tobago's first Carbon Capture and Storage mapping project. Also taking part in the signing are (l-r) Professor Clément Imbert, Chairman, Board of Governors, UTT; Ms. Giselle Thompson, VP Communications and Advocacy, bpTT; Mr. Wail Shaheen, VP Subsurface, bpTT; Professor Andrew Jupiter, Distinguished Fellow and Professor of Practice, Petroleum Studies Unit, UWI, St. Augustine; and Professor Brian Copeland, Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal, UWI, St. Augustine.