BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – IN RESPONSE TO the growing need for and interest in finding alternative sources of energy for the twin island Federation, a local company headed by local Engineer Malcolm Knight was launched on Friday, June 1 2012 at Cloud 9 at Porte Zante.
The company, ALETECH, is offering alternative energy technology services in the form of Consultancy, Design, Installation and Maintenance.
Head of the Company, Malcolm Knight, was described by MC Peter Jenkins as an extremely knowledgeable expert in renewable energy sources. After initial training in Cuba, he has benefitted from training ‘around the world’ under the sponsorship of reputable institutions such as UNDP, OAS and CARICOM.
ALETECH expects to embrace all alternative energy sources including wind and solar, and will also be able to advise on bio fuel/biogas/bio diesel for vehicles.
Knight stressed that “energy efficiency” ought to be the focus and this must even include attention being paid to the designs of our homes and the materials we use for construction which should all be aimed at fuel efficiency.
He explained that this ought to be extended to the efficient use of water. He predicted that we may soon be turning to the abundance of the ocean and ocean technology not only for energy but to use techniques like desalination to make water more available.
He assured his audience that ALETECH could encompass all of that and informed that his company was a local entity with regional and international connections. He hoped that it would be realised that we can now solve our problems from within.
Finding alternate energy sources has become a critical and urgent issue especially because of the continuing rising cost of using fossil fuels and the serious constraints in spending brought about by global recession and debt servicing.
People in St. Kitts have been demanding that something be done about the alarming rise in electricity costs.
Mr. Larkland Richards, proprietor of Bird Rock Beach Hotel and a speaker at the launch, who has already begun to use the services of ALETECH, revealed that it is almost impossible to stay in business with the present cost of using fossil fuels and some measure of relief must be found for businesses and homeowners.
He hoped that his project with ALETECH would soon bear fruit and he would be able to report in more detail at a later date.
To heighten the urgent need for a company such as ALTECH, MC Peter Jenkins referenced statements recently made by Prime Minister Portia Simpson of Jamaica at a major conference on renewable energy sources.
He felt that the following statements of the PM were easily applicable to St. Kitts and Nevis. The statements selected were -
• The current level of energy consumption is unsustainable.
• A small developing country, like Jamaica, cannot expand its productive capacity, attract business and ensure the wellbeing of its people, with the unprecedented increases in the cost of energy annually.
• Next to debt servicing, the cost of energy represents our greatest outflow of foreign exchange, and the outlook is for this to worsen.
• Definite time-based targets have to be set to enable us to achieve our goals.
Mr. Ricky Lake, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy was on hand to give support, and stated that the target set by the Ministry was to have 60% conversion to ‘green energy’ by 2015.
The launch was attended by members of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce, Ambassador Greene of the OAS who constantly shows commitment to this national effort, personnel from the relevant government ministries and interested members of the public.
Head of ALETECH, Malcolm Knight, invited attendees to leave their comments/feedback on pre-distributed cards and said he hoped all would feel free to discuss with him any aspect of this critical issue of making our energy sources renewable and sustainable.
