SURINAME IS WHOLE good at organizing international meetings. The country must be given that. The people are invited nicely, the most expensive location is paid for, the decoration looks slick and expensive. This was also the case with Caribbean Energy Week (March 30-April 1).
Wonderful plans with the ultimate result being the setting of concrete plans towards the development of the energy potential in Suriname and also better cooperation in the region. Although the Caribbean Energy Week was somewhat overshadowed by the sudden death of ex-president Chandrikapersad Santokhi, visitors consider it a successful meeting. It was possible to network and connect with each other.
A Caribbean Energy Week is fun to organize, gain knowledge and network, but the work ‘in-house’ is just as important
It was advantageous for Suriname because the refinery already supplies products for the Caribbean and expansion is always beneficial. And also to make links with African knowledge and private capital. But after the nice-looking exterior, it is important to also look inside.
What does the energy sector and therefore the electrification of Suriname look like now and is the country ready for the future? Suriname has only one supplier of electricity to the general public. That is the Energy Companies Suriname (EBS). Recently there have been quite a few scandals surrounding the management of EBS without sanctions.
In a committee meeting with the Ministry of Natural Resources (NH), according to the report of the Suriname Communications Service, the National Assembly asked for annual reports from both EBS and Grassalco. The message wisely did not say what NH’s response was.
But the EBS annual report for 2020, which was adopted at the end of 2024, is public. The accountant has provided the report with a qualified auditor’s report. This means that there are ambiguities in the report. More than a year later, no report for 2021 is yet public, let alone the other years.
According to the Energy Sector Plan, US$425 million is needed between 2025 and 2029 to make the necessary investments. How can so much money be pumped into a state-owned company that is so poor at accountability through annual reports. This is worrying because the country’s energy needs are increasing and will continue to increase.
The sector plan discusses the renewal of the electricity grid, but also the diversification of energy generation. It has been written about wind and solar energy. But a lot of study still needs to be done and more modern legislation needs to be introduced. Suriname wants to be 30 percent less dependent on fossil fuels by 2030. How is it going to do that?
In any case, there is still a long way to go in modernizing and improving the national energy supply. So a Caribbean Energy Week like this is fun to organize, gain knowledge and network. But the work ‘in-house’ is at least as important.
