Inorganic Chemicals
Since processing industries for inorganic chemicals do not primarily rely on natural gas as a raw material, there is a broad scope for developing these products in Trinidad and Tobago. Examples of such applications include food preservatives, water treatment chemicals, industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, etc. Such industries are not highly capital-intensive and are relatively easy to establish in terms of resources and raw material requirements.
Biochemicals – Natural Gas to Protein
Protein consumption is necessary for the health and benefit of living organisms. Protein can add quality and physical profile to food and can enter the market, even as an additive to food products. In order to lower the prices of food products and maintain a high amino acid content in healthy products, protein can be mixed into a variety of food products, especially in the case of fish meal and feed products for poultry and livestock. The natural gas requirement and other utilities/inputs that are required to produce single-cell protein are minimal when compared to the dominant petrochemical industry. Additionally, the development of specialised skill sets and opportunities for R&D would be prevalent and required for the development of such an industry.