The Latin American Energy Organisation-OLADE wishes to inform its Member Countries as well as the regional and international energy industry of the passing of Senator the Honourable Franklin Khan, Minister of Energy and Energy Industries of Trinidad and Tobago and President of the Meeting of Ministers of OLADE (2020 – 2021), on Saturday 17th April, 2021.
Senator Franklin Khan was a Petroleum Geologist by profession, having spent twenty years in the energy sector within Trinidad and Tobago and in other parts of the World where he held a wide range of positions both at the technical and managerial levels.
Senator Khan held a BSc Degree in Geology and Geography (1980) from the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona, Jamaica, and a MBA (2007) from the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business, UWI (Trinidad).
Senator Khan served the people of Trinidad and Tobago with distinction for the past 20 years in various levels of Government. He served as Minister of Works and Transport and as Member of Parliament from 2002 to 2007. In 2015, he was appointed as the Minister of Rural Development and Local Government, and in 2016, he was appointed as the Minister of Energy and Energy Industries.
In August 2020, he was reappointed to the portfolio of Minister of Energy and Energy Industries for a second term, a position that he held until the time of his passing.
During his tenure as the Minister of Energy and Energy Industries, Senator Khan accomplished a multitude of feats. His progressive management techniques helped to streamline the structure and operations of the Ministry. Senator Khan’s belief in younger professionals taking the helm of the energy sector of Trinidad and Tobago is reflected in the present structure at the Ministry.
During the last five years Minister Franklin Khan, revisited and negotiated several contracts which have resulted in significant and new benefits for the people of Trinidad and Tobago. In 2018, Minister Khan was an integral part of the GORTT’s Empowered Negotiating Team, which undertook negotiations with Shell and BP to address the issue of revenue leakage in the LNG sector.
Minister Khan embraced change, and under his leadership at the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, he started the transition of Trinidad and Tobago move towards incorporating renewable energy in the Country’s energy mix as he sanctioned Trinidad and Tobago’s first large-scale renewable energy project.
Senator Khan will also be remembered in our Organisation for his outstanding work as the sitting President of the Meeting of Ministers. His leadership during the global pandemic and the accompanying period of financial uncertainty allowed us to continue the work of this Organisation. Senator Khan’s professionalism and commitment to strengthening and promoting energy development, cooperation and integration in Latin American and the Caribbean will undoubtedly remain a part of his legacy.
OLADE and Member Countries wish to express our deepest condolences to the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, and to the family of Senator the Honourable Franklin Khan.