By NATARIO McKENZIE

Tribune Business Reporter

nmckenzie@tribunemedia.net

BAHA MAR yesterday affirmed its backing for the proposed "revolutionary" $102.3 million Seawater District Cooling (SDC) system that will supply 90 per cent of its air conditioning needs, but said the Government had given the project no license or approval.

Robert Sands, Baha Mar's senior vice-president of government and external affairs, said that while Baha Mar supported the Ocean Thermal Energy Corporation (OTEC) project for the SDC plant and pipeline, no permit, license or approval had been granted.

OTEC and its engineering/construction partner, DCO Energy, plan to construct a 12,000 tonne system that will provide Baha Mar's $2.6 billion development with its air conditioning needs, via chilling capacity from deep sea water, a specialised project that could provide Bahamian contractors with valuable intellectual property for the future.

Mr Sands, who noted that he was not an official spokesman for Baha Mar's renewal energy partner, said: "Baha Mar supports the deep sea cooling aspect of OTEC. The Government has not opined on this current position, and neither has a permit, license or approval been given.

"It is the intention for the Government to be updated on this particular matter and, as soon as that is done, OTEC will certainly be in a position to articulate its current progress with that project."

He added: "We absolutely support it because it is revolutionary. It will save some capital investment for the Government corporation (BEC) and, at the same time, allow us to exercise a form of renewable energy that will save us hundreds of thousands of dollars annualised on this project going forward."

Mr Sands also acknowledged: "There are some concerns. Certainly there is the environmental sensitivity. All of this due diligence would have to be done prior to any approval being given. Nothing, absolutely nothing, has been agreed. What the Government is addressing is simple proposals."

OTEC has pledged that Bahamian labour would perform 75 per cent of the construction work, accounting for a collective 80,000 man hours. It has stated that its SDC plant would reduce Baha Mar's air conditioning-related electricity demands by almost 90 per cent, from 42,837 Mega Watt hours (MWh) per year to 4,512 MWh - a drop of 38,325 MWh.