First GHG inventory for ships completed in Trinidad and Tobago

La Brea Industrial Development Company Limited (LABIDCO) and the University of Trinidad and Tobago (UTT) have completed the “first-of-its-kind” greenhouse gas (GHG) emission inventory for ships in Trinidad and Tobago.

According to the partners, the inventory is the first to include information on GHG emissions produced by vessels while anchored, maneuvering through the harbour, and berthed at the Port of Brighton. 

The information was supported by data collected from the port’s repository and included:

• vessel profiles,
• vessel calls,
• vessel time in port, and
• cargo throughput.

The project started in February 2023 and was completed in May 2023.

“While the University has conducted several GHG inventories, this project is the first to incorporate data on all the above-mentioned elements. Both UTT and LABIDCO focused on the three greenhouse gases identified by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Guidelines for emissions from energy activities for national inventories. These emissions are: Carbon Dioxide (CO2), Methane (CH4), and Nitrous Oxide (N2O),” President of the UTT Professor Prakash Persad explained.

Chairman of LABIDCO Joseph Khan noted that the inventory “has the potential to serve as a template for other sectors in the industry and will greatly assist in shaping the decisions made by LABIDCO as the Company transitions to a Green and Smart Port. The recommendations from the report will guide the development and implementation of an Emissions Reduction Strategy (ERS)”.