Martinique is frantically pursuing hydrogen in its new blueprint plan

George Harneys

September 28, 2021

When most people think of Martinique, they think of its warm climate and tropical sandy beaches; However, the Caribbean island is now frantically pursuing hydrogen.

Bananas are the island's largest export product, and these bananas offer a new opportunity to boost the island's economy by producing hydrogen.

In Martinique, one of the largest waste streams on the island is the plastic bags commonly used to protect bananas.

Despite being a big environmental pollution and hazard, there was an opportunity between VALECOM and Ways2H to see this plastic converted into hydrogen.

In fact, with this new project, 9,000 tons of municipal waste can be converted into renewable hydrogen per year, the first of which focuses on generating electricity for the island.

This opportunity also paves the way for further decarbonisation opportunities, and clean transport solutions, such as buses, are also a potential for the future.

Under the partnership, Ways2H will initially process 24 tonnes of mixed commercial waste per day, including plastic and furniture, with an additional 8 tonnes per day after an 18-month construction period and when the infrastructure is fully operational.

Dominique Regis, CEO of VALECOM, said: "At the COP21 meeting, we developed plans for several projects to help Caribbean islands such as Martinique become more resilient and we believe the Ways2H project is the next step in that vision.

"This modular and multi-process project in Martinique will build one or more Ways2H waste-to-energy units, which we intend to replicate in other Caribbean islands."

Jean-Louis Kindler, CEO of Ways2H, said: "What we see in Martinique is not just what we see around the world: the local (often rural) economy is struggling to manage an increasingly diverse waste stream, rising energy costs and unemployment.

"As COP26 approaches, we believe that the work we are doing here, as well as in projects around the world, is an important blueprint for creating a circular economy. We thank valecom and other partners for their efforts to achieve this common goal. ”