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Darryl Jordan Secondary School exhibit on display at the at Barbados Renewable Energy Association (BREA) Conference.

Government’s vision: 100% renewable energy island

 

Government’s vision is one of Barbados becoming a 100 per cent renewable energy island within the next 50 years, based on the use of indigenous local renewable energy sources, says Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Freundel Stuart.
Yesterday, he shared this during the opening ceremony of the two-day Barbados Renewable Energy Association (BREA) Conference, held in association with the Central Bank of Barbados at the Lloyd Erskine Sandiford Centre (LESC).
Under the theme “Sustainable Energy Independence in the Caribbean: Making It Happen”, the Conference will provide an opportunity to promote the increased ambition for sustainable energy targets, using Barbados’ thrust as a case for energy independence.
 
“On the way to achieving this goal, we now comfortably expect that a target of 65 per cent of peak electricity capacity can be achieved by 2030, taking into account the suite of investments which have been and will be undertaken the next few years,” he told delegates, revealing that Government has also undertaken an Offshore Petroleum Programme which has so far resulted in the award of three blocks to the international oil companies BHP Billiton and Repsol.
However, he acknowledged that some may argue that this initiative could be at variance with the Government’s clean energy programme and the Government’s quest for a Green Economy.
“However it is being done within the context of a strategy where we seek to capitalise on the opportunities highlighted under the Sustainable Energy Framework, while simultaneously pursing opportunities of locating hydrocarbons in Barbados’ vast offshore.
 
“We have adopted the stance where the revenues gained from the Offshore Petroleum Programme will be used to diversify the economy, to assist in developing the Green Economy and achieving our 100 per cent renewable energy goal, and to build up our foreign exchange reserves, since we recognise that fossil fuels are finite and not environmentally friendly,” he stated.
 
To achieve these objectives, Stuart said a Policy and a Road Map are indispensable.
 
In relation to Policy, a draft National Energy Policy for Barbados has been prepared which, after review by the Cabinet, should be presented to the public for discussion.
 
In addition, he disclosed that the Cabinet has agreed to the establishment of a National Task Force on Energy consisting of stakeholders in the private and public sector, as well as the key Non-Governmental Organisation in this sector – the Barbados Renewable Energy Association.
 
The Prime Minister also explained that the mandate of this body is to take a comprehensive approach to the preparation and review of the National Energy Policy, and to review the Energy Road Map which has recently been drafted by the International Renewable Energy Agency, as well as to monitor developments generally in the energy sector.
 
“A notable feature of the policy is that natural gas will be used as a bridge, as renewable energy and energy efficiency penetrate further into the energy mix,” it was further pointed out.
 
“The Government will therefore continue to import natural gas in the form of Liquefied Natural Gas to augment declining indigenous gas production, in the near and medium term, on the way to realising Barbados’ goal of becoming a 100 per cent renewable energy island.”
 
Stuart further acknowledged that the other key step in the process of achieving energy independence is to have a Road Map. In this regard, the Division of Energy and Telecommunications engaged the International Renewable Energy Agency to prepare this “Map”.
 
“The report has been prepared and has confirmed our local analysis that there can be an exponential increase in the renewable energy penetration level in the electricity supply.”
 
“It indicates that the island can increase the renewable energy penetration level in the electricity supply to a target of 76 per cent of peak generation. The Cabinet will therefore, in 2017, review and increase the allocation of licenses for intermittent renewable energy generation connected to the national electricity grid,” he said. (TL)

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