The curtains came down on the 2023 Engineering & Procurement Conference & Exhibition on July 27th, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Trinidad & Tobago. CARILEC, alongside its member co-hosts, Trinidad & Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC) and Power Generation Company of Trinidad & Tobago (PowerGen), are all tremendously pleased with the proceeds of this event. The three (3) energy-affiliated organizations combined their efforts to plan and execute a conference which would educate, motivate, and challenge electric utility engineers and procurement specialists to accelerate the energy transition process in the Caribbean through efficient procurement, smart designs, and effective execution.
During the 5-day event, which included an opening ceremony, cocktail reception, electric orange party, 18 conference sessions featuring energy industry experts and a bespoke procurement workshop; attendees attested to the fact that they received much value from this conference. Such value was mainly derived from expert speakers, who shared much of their expertise and knowledge with delegates.
Keynote Speaker, Professor Dr. Sanjay Bahadoorsingh, who is the Head of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of the West Indies (UWI) St. Augustine, enlightened delegates on the unsustainability of our legacy energy systems and that the duty is ours to create change. He also highlighted the value of data sharing and protection regulations, data management and power systems analysis within the region. As he said, ‘effective execution should be the lynchpin of our society – encourage investment in clean energy, establish a diverse financial framework and bolster technical education.”
The first session was a panel discussion on ‘Powering Transition in the Caribbean Energy Sector through Smart Designs, Efficient Procurement & Effective Execution’ (conference theme), which addressed key challenges in the transition to clean energy in the Caribbean energy sector, such as utility constraints on grids and modernization, and lack of regional technical capacity in areas such as regulation and long project development cycles. Three pillars identified to make the transition happen were vision, policy, and implementation.
During the Procurement sessions, Mr. Mariano Browne, (Procurement Keynote Speaker) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Arthur Lok Jack Global School of Business, introduced us to the critical time-sensitive issue that procurement is, especially within the Caribbean context. He further argued that as the region competes against countries larger than itself for time, resources, and spare parts, the Caribbean needs to have appropriate policy frameworks at the heart of pricing and make short term decisions to evade long-term obstacles.
With an impressive attendance of 167 Attendees comprising 14 Utility Members, 22 Associate Members, 4 IPP Members, 10 Local (Trinidad and Tobago) Companies, 27 Non Member Organisations, 1 Government Organisation, and overall 80 Participating Companies; this year’s Engineering and Procurement Conference and Exhibition was indeed a successful event. The CARILEC Team is deeply grateful to its highly competent co-hosts, and its generous sponsors including, MSHS (Platinum Sponsor), Aggreko (Emerald Sponsor), Accelleron (Silver Sponsor), American Wire, BWSC, and Classic Controls Inc. (Bronze Sponsors), and its trusted event partner, Association of Professional Engineers of Trinidad and Tobago (APETT). We look forward to your continued support and patronage of this event in 2024 and beyond.
Source: CARILEC, 2023
