The Government of St Kitts and Nevis has taken steps to commence the development of its long-awaited, state-of-the-art waste-to-energy gasification power generation plant.

Through the Solid Waste Management Corporation (SWMC), the country recently engaged the services of St Lucia-based Export Development Business Services Inc (EDBS), as the firm to be responsible for conceptualising, project structuring, and arranging financing for the innovative, technology-driven project.

Gasification, which is a process that involves the conversion of biomass and solid and liquid waste material into a gas, allows for power to be extracted from the combustion of this gas, providing a source of renewable energy. The waste-to-energy gasification power generation plant is, therefore, expected to help in stabilising the cost of electricity for residents as it also eliminates further environmental damage at the national landfill. The project will also open new opportunities for citizens of the country as more jobs are created.

Chairman of the SWMC Ivan Hanley, on signing the engagement documents, said that the commissioning of the legacy projects aligns well with his organisation’s mandate of meeting the challenges of a growing waste management problem in St Kitts and Nevis.

“We are in the problem-solving, and solutions business, and more than ever, we must face these challenges head-on; a project such as this is a cornerstone of innovation right here on our shores,” he said.

Anthony Da Silva, director at EDBS, commenting on the partnership, said that his team was looking forward to working across an extensive global network to find the best structuring and funding model for the project.

“Over the last three decades, I have worked throughout the Caribbean region committed to conceptualising, structuring, and attracting investment for multimillion-dollar, public-private sector projects, including the provision of advisory and consultancy services to projects in several islands including Barbados and St Kitts & Nevis,” he stated.

EDBS, which over the years has been using its partnership network and contacts to successfully raise capital for projects across the Caribbean, said it will seek to advance this project in the coming weeks and months via a network of specialists. This, it expects to do through expert consultation and strategic assessments in an effort to find the best partners for the revenue project.