The Caribbean’s energy future is increasingly being shaped not only by traditional north-south flows of capital and technology, but also by collaborative efforts among regional partners to strengthen energy security, unlock investment, and drive industrialization. The region will host its first Caribbean Energy Week (CEW) in Paramaribo, Suriname in 2026, and attention will be focused on how these partnerships shape into real trade, upstream development and cross-border value chains. Central to the agenda is the Atlantic Basin Business Forum – Bridging the Caribbean, Brazil and Africa through trade and investment. This is a plenary dialogue that brings together governments, financiers and industry leaders to envision a new framework for transatlantic partnerships and regional industry growth.
One of the clearest signs of this change comes from Suriname, which is rapidly emerging as the Caribbean’s next major oil and gas frontier. Following a series of offshore discoveries (estimated at 2.4 billion barrels of oil equivalent and 12.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas), the country is preparing to drill at least 10 wells in the Guyana-Suriname Basin between 2025 and 2027. The scale of these prospects positions Suriname as a strong candidate for cooperation with major companies in the region.
An important development occurred in 2024, when the Brazilian multinational Petrobras signed a memorandum of understanding with Suriname’s national oil company Starzorie to explore cooperation opportunities. The agreement covers knowledge exchange and the possibility of Petrobras’ participation in future exploration activities in Suriname, reflecting Petrobras’ interest in Suriname’s marine sector. Petrobras leverages decades of pre-salt experience covering some of the world’s largest deep-sea discoveries, advanced subsea systems, and ultra-deepwater drilling, bringing technological capabilities that work closely with Suriname’s emerging ocean profile. Petrobras’ potential role in Suriname’s next stage of development is expected to be a key topic of discussion at CEW’s Atlantic Basin Business Forum as work accelerates on flagship projects.
African service and logistics providers, particularly Angola, Nigeria and Ghana, are also represented in potentially supporting offshore expansion in the Caribbean. These companies, with experience operating in the Frontier Basin, bring capabilities in maritime logistics, manufacturing, EPC services, and supply chain management that could complement Caribbean projects as transatlantic partnerships continue to evolve.
Importantly, the scope of investment among the southern partners is expanding beyond upstream hydrocarbons. Industrialization is beginning to gain momentum through free trade zones, processing plants, logistics hubs, and emerging regional supply chains. In March 2025, Afreximbank established its first African Trade Center in Barbados, strengthening access to African markets in the Caribbean and building structural links in logistics, trade finance and investment. Building on this momentum, in November 2025, the Development Bank for Latin America and the Caribbean announced a $40 billion financing program to support sustainable growth and energy transition across Latin America and the Caribbean, including renewable energy projects, infrastructure development, and trade facilitation, demonstrating the scale at which regional development banks are mobilizing South-South investment.
However, challenges still remain. Regulatory frameworks in many Caribbean jurisdictions are still developing, the scale of demand is low compared to larger basins, and infrastructure gaps remain. Effective South-South cooperation requires harmonized standards, capacity building and mechanisms to ensure local content and community interests. The Atlantic Basin Business Forum will play a central role in addressing these structural gaps, providing Caribbean, Brazilian, and African leaders with a coordinated space to outline common standards, align investment objectives, and deepen institutional cooperation across the Atlantic.
Another Energy Week arrives in the Caribbean as the region moves from dependence on energy imports to partnership-driven investment, industrialization and growth. South-South cooperation is becoming the operational backbone of how Caribbean countries mobilize resources, share expertise and build the foundations for a more secure energy future. CEW 2026 provides a strategic platform for regional leaders and investors to align around this vision, build deals that make it a reality, and ensure the Caribbean’s energy security is underpinned by solidarity, scale and strategic partnerships.
Join us in shaping the Caribbean’s energy future. To participate in this groundbreaking event, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.
