Otto Carrington
Senior Reporter
otto.carrington@cnc3.co.tt
An international telecommunications and data infrastructure executive is questioning whether Trinidad and Tobago is prepared for the scale of artificial intelligence (AI) data centres outlined in the Government’s recently announced memorandum of understanding (MOU), warning that the country could face significant technical, energy and economic challenges if the projects proceed without comprehensive planning.
Prof Mike Singh, founder, chairman and CEO of TC Energy & ICT Infra Group, who also serves on the advisory board of the Smart Cities Council and is a faculty member at the Jindal School of International Affairs in India, said while he supports digital transformation, major questions remain unanswered about the viability of establishing hyperscale AI data centres in T&T.
Speaking with Guardian Media yesterday, Singh said hyperscale AI facilities require enormous amounts of electricity, noting that a single large data centre can consume hundreds of megawatts of power.
He warned that placing such facilities on the existing national electricity grid could have serious consequences for manufacturers, businesses and households.
“There’s no way that your existing grid will be able to power that data centre and your general light industries, your manufacturing, your packaging, your food industries and your service sector,” he said.
According to Singh, countries that successfully host hyperscale facilities build dedicated electrical substations and supporting infrastructure to ensure uninterrupted power for both the data centres and the wider economy.
He also questioned whether sufficient feasibility studies had been conducted before announcing the project.
Drawing comparisons with major global technology hubs, Singh said countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Brazil, Mexico and India support hyperscale facilities because of their large populations, strong international connectivity and extensive power generation capacity.
He argued that T&T’s market size differs substantially from those larger regional hubs and questioned whether there was sufficient commercial demand to justify multiple hyperscale developments.
While acknowledging that T&T has the potential to participate in the digital economy, Singh maintained that any investment should be guided by transparent feasibility studies, independent technical expertise and long-term infrastructure planning.
“I’m not saying it cannot be done,” he said. “But these are questions that need expert answers.”
Conservation researcher warns of impact on wildlife, ecosystems
The hum of artificial intelligence could create a new environmental challenge for T&T, according to Syam Nath, a bioacoustician and conservation researcher, who says the country must examine the hidden impacts of data centre development before moving ahead.
Nath is warning that while data centres represent a major opportunity for T&T’s digital economy, the environmental implications of large-scale facilities must be fully understood before decisions are made.
Nath, whose work combines wildlife conservation with advanced acoustic technology, engineering and computer science, said his concerns are not about opposing technology but ensuring that development is guided by science, transparency and proper environmental assessment.
“I am pro-technology. My work stands at the cornerstone between wildlife conservation and technology, and we cannot do what we do without advanced technology,” Nath said.
One of Nath’s main concerns is the often-overlooked issue of noise pollution.
“As a bioacoustician, I understand the impacts of prolonged noise and noise in certain frequency bands and how these affect animal life in water, in the air and on land,” he said.
He explained that data centres are not silent facilities, with cooling systems, chillers, cooling towers and backup generators producing continuous mechanical noise.
Nath said the absence of an acoustic baseline study makes it difficult to determine how much additional pressure such a facility could place on the surrounding environment.
Nath also raised concerns about the water requirements associated with cooling high-performance computing systems.
He said proposals involving treated wastewater, artificial ponds or desalination require careful analysis.
He added that the proposed Debe location also requires consideration of its connection to surrounding ecosystems.
“The Debe area drains through the South Oropouche River into the Oropouche Lagoon and eventually into the Gulf of Paria. What happens on land does not stay on land.”
He described the Gulf of Paria as an already stressed ecosystem facing pollution pressures, saltwater intrusion and other environmental challenges.
“Through our research, we have documented bottlenose dolphins showing lobomycosis-like skin lesions. This needs further scientific confirmation through DNA testing and additional analysis, but similar disease patterns elsewhere have been associated with chronic environmental stress.”
He said introducing another major industrial activity without comprehensive studies could add pressure to an already vulnerable system.
Nath stressed that his position is not anti-development.
“The question is not whether Trinidad and Tobago should embrace technology. The question is whether we are doing it responsibly.”
Nath said T&T must recognise that economic development and environmental protection cannot be separated.
