Minister of Energy, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Kerrie Symmonds in conversation with Chairman of the BNOCL, Alex McDonald (right) and BNOCL, NCP Group of Companies CEO, James Browne (middle).
Barbados is moving closer towards its goal of becoming a country one hundred per cent relient on clean energy with the moving forward of the Gamma Project and the provision of photovoltaic systems (PV) for Barbadians.
The GAMMA Project initiative, launched by the Barbados National Oil Co Ltd (BNOCL), National Petroleum Corporation (NPC) group of companies is funded by the Inter-American Development Bank. The plan is to see to the installation of 4.1 PV solar plants at seven locations including at BNOCL in Wood Bourne, Lower Grey’s and at NPC.
Minister of Energy, Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Kerrie Symmonds highlighted the goal of the current administration to be one hundred per cent fossil free, carbon neutral and driven by renewable energy by 2030. The minister, who was speaking after a tour of the BNTCL and NCP locations, stated that it would be a significant aid in the recovery of the economy if the island relied on the cheapest form of energy.
“The point was made that it is a substantially shorter time frame than many other developing countries of the world had given themselves. It is an ambitious undertaking but we have to do this if we are to get ourselves out of the very severe economic difficulty that the country now finds itself,” said Symmonds.
With a target of 250kW of PV to be installed each month, the BNOCL, NPC group of companies has three streams of projects being rolled out – residential, commercial and utility. To aid in the move of providing renewable energy in these areas, it would require the Minister of Energy, Small Business and Entrepreneurship to break the one hundred old monopoly which the Barbados Light & Power Co Ltd (BLPC) has enjoyed.
The discussions between the government, BLPC, the BNOCL and other vested parties in the energy sector have been amicable and productive, aimed at defining a timeline for the closure of negotiations.
“The good news for Barbadians is that once we come to that point of closure, we will be looking at making sure we have democratised the supply of energy in this country and that every Barbadian will be in a position to be able to be an independent power producer,” explained Symmonds.
He added that those persons would also be supplying valuable energy onto the grid, so that the country ceases to have the approximate $500 million bill covering the commitments of the importation of petroleum related products. (AS)