The St Kitts sugar cane fields (Photo by Erasmus Williams)

“We continue as a Government and as a Cabinet to look at the potential of the use of the canes that are standing in our fields; what use they can be put to, and at the moment the government is considering a number of proposal from a number of companies that are interested in utilising our cane that is standing in the fields and using it to produce ethanol and of course using ethanol as one form of energy for different industrial uses,” St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, Dr Denzil Douglas, said.

He said Global Green, a Norwegian company, Transmediair Incorporated from the United States of America and Caribbean Energy Resources of Florida have submitted proposals to the Sugar Transition Office.

Dr. Douglas said that another company, Alboomberg International, which has representatives visiting St. Kitts, has submitted a proposal for financing the three companies interested in doing a joint venture operation with regards to the production of ethanol, and the use of biomass from the sugar cane plant.

“I believe that these are important initiatives that we need to pursue at this particular time, but we have given them a very specific time period in order to submit their formal proposals for consideration and final determination as to which one of these companies would be chosen by this government to carry out this important exercise,” Dr. Douglas told reporters during a press conference.

He said that the Sugar Transition Management Team is presently working with the Department of Legal Affairs and the Ministry of Finance “to determine which of these proposals is the best one and who would be given the opportunity to use the assets that the industry presently have and that we believe can be utilised in a very productive way.”

Prime Minister Douglas noted that thousands of tons of cane are in the fields and a large number of former sugar workers are still unemployed, “especially our women in the rural areas whose only skill is that of working in the industry (and) it is critical that government continue to pursue initiatives that will provide employment opportunities in an area that people are already skilled and have experience.”