Senior Multimedia Reporter
Energy Minister Dr Roodal Moonilal yesterday confirmed that Government has agreed to the construction of a data centre in Golconda, south Trinidad. Moonilal said suitable land has been identified in the area to build the facility within the Debe Special Economic Zone, located off the M2 Ring Road.
“There are large tracts of land in our areas, throughout Golconda, Picton, going down to Barrackpore and so on,” Moonilal said.
Speaking to reporters while distributing schoolbooks and bags to constituents at his office in Debe, Moonilal said some of the land in the area had already been earmarked for housing for former Caroni workers.
He said other suitable lands near Debe had been identified for the data centre.
Moonilal said the project was particularly important for south Trinidad, which he said had suffered economically following the closure of Caroni 1975 Limited and Petrotrin.
“In fact, we have had a double shot of closures—Caroni and Petrotrin,” he said, adding that there had been “no industrial expansion activity in south Trinidad for many, many years.”
He said the data centre could spark further industrial development in the region.
“We believe that that will trigger off a process of much more industrial development in these areas,” Moonilal said.
Moonilal also said residents had already been asking about employment opportunities at the facility.
“In Debe, they ask me, how much jobs can they get?” he said.
He said constituents had even been approaching him about jobs for their children and grandchildren.
“So, I have been inundated, been hounded down by constituents asking for jobs in that data centre,” he said.
Moonilal said the project would create employment and generate spin-off business opportunities.
“There’s a lot of excitement there that will create not just jobs but spin-off from business,” he said.
Two weeks ago, Minister of Land and Legal Affairs Saddam Hosein said lands cleared at Petite Morne 2 and 3, near Ste Madeleine, would be allocated to former Caroni workers. More than 200 acres of land have been cleared on the hillsides from Ste Madeleine to Picton.
Guardian Media understands two separate areas have been earmarked—one for housing for former Caroni workers and another for the proposed data centre, which Moonilal said would be situated off the M2 Ring Road near Golconda and Picton.
However, concerns have been raised by residents in the community about the potential impact of the data centre, including noise pollution and increased temperatures.
Responding to those concerns, Moonilal said: “Well, the people who say it will cause noise never hear data centre yet.”
He also dismissed concerns about increased temperatures, saying: “As to temperatures, I mean today is a very, very hot day.”
Moonilal said fears surrounding industrial development were not unusual.
“As someone who has studied industrial development, there are always fears and rumour-mongering and so on with industrial development that’s normal,” he said.
He said residents would eventually benefit from industrial development through employment and investment.
“Once change comes, the people benefit by change because they will get the jobs,” he said.
He also rejected concerns about the facility affecting the water supply.
“The data will tell us that there’s no risk to water supply or anything like that,” he said.
Moonilal said he was pleased with the progress of the project and welcomed its potential impact on the region.
“We are very, very confident that this is a very, very positive development for south Trinidad and for Trenton Bay as a whole. And I, as MP here, I’m extremely happy to welcome the data centre.”
However, president of the Ridgewood Gardens Community Council, Debra Lewis-Diaz, yesterday said residents want greater clarity about where the facility will be located and how far it will be from existing homes.
“We are simply asking the minister to identify the land space that will be occupied for this data centre,” she said.
Lewis-Diaz said there was a large parcel of more than 200 acres opposite Ridgewood Gardens Phase One and residents wanted to know whether that land was being considered for the project.
She said residents would be more comfortable if the facility was located a safe distance away from residential communities.
“I surely don’t want to believe that the Government will be so irresponsible to put that so close to a housing settlement,” she said.
Lewis-Diaz also called for public consultation before the project proceeds. She said residents remained concerned about potential noise and increased temperatures and wanted the proposed data centre site clearly marked on a map, particularly because lands in the same general area are also being allocated to former Caroni workers.
