By Sharon Austin
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (GIS) – The renewable energy sector and opportunities for collaboration were discussed when Sweden’s ambassador to the Caribbean, Anders Bengtcén, paid a courtesy call on minister of energy and business, senator Lisa Cummins.
During a recent meeting, at the ministry of energy and business, Country Road, St Michael, senator Cummins said there was a “huge opportunity” for Barbados to collaborate with battery storage companies in Sweden; and stressed the importance of regulatory capacity building for this island, saying this was critical.
The minister indicated that there would be an opportunity for greater partnership in areas such as research, innovation, and development.
“Right now, we are importing 100 percent of our product and 100 percent of the high-end skills that we need. We want to look at the opportunities for research, development, and innovation, and to do some of them here in Barbados, in collaboration with a much larger, more established partner.” Senator Cummins noted that transportation was the largest sector which consumed fossil fuels; and pointed out that electric buses had been procured under the Smart Energy Fund, and that private-sector transport operators also wanted to make the transition.
The ministry will also be working on these matters in collaboration with the EU Delegation.
Ambassador Bengtcén said Sweden’s objective is to be net zero by 2045; stated that the country had reduced its fossil fuels by 30 percent since the 1990s, and receives its electricity from hydro, wind, nuclear – and that electric vehicles were a popular choice in Sweden.
