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<\/p>\nBarbados on Tuesday unveiled the world\u2019s first vehicle powered by renewable natural gas (RNG) from Sargassum seaweed, rum distillery wastewater and Blackbelly sheep manure, and The UWI Cave Hill Campus came in for high praise for its pioneering role in this renewable energy project.<\/em>
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\nCongratulating the university’s groundbreaking work, Minister of Energy Lisa Cummins highlighted the importance of diversifying investments in renewable energy beyond traditional solar. She also noted the opportunity which has been created to repurpose Sargassum into a valuable asset for Barbados’ renewable energy transition.<\/em><\/p>\nThis project is the result of extensive research by scientists at The UWI Cave Hill, in collaboration with Rum and Sargassum Inc. and Supernova Lab of Future Barbados. The vehicle was met with enthusiastic applause as it was driven for several minutes during its debut at Guinea Plantation in St. John this afternoon.<\/em><\/p>\n
The car which belongs to the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREE), is now being used as the flagship vehicle of the project and bears the branding \u201cRuns on Sargassum\u201d emblazoned on the trunk.<\/em><\/p>\n
The minister called for this breakthrough to be viewed not just as a national achievement but as a regional and global model for innovative opportunity. She stressed that this development demonstrates Barbados and The UWI\u2019s capability to lead in the renewable energy sector and should not be underestimated.<\/em>
\n\u201cBarbados has pioneered a technology and an innovation that has the ability to change the way in which this entire Caribbean space treats to transportation and I want Barbados to not take that for granted,\u201d Cummins added.<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\nAlso view:
\n– UWI researchers leading the way with first renewable natural gas uses<\/strong><\/a>
\nby Emmanuel Joseph in Barbados Today Sep 14, 2024 “…The groundbreaking initiative comes after over a year of preparation, led by the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill researchers who extracted the biogas..The project, spearheaded by Rum and Sargassum Incorporated and Supernova Lab of Future Barbados, has garnered more than $1 million in investments…Project founder Dr Legena Henry, a mechanical engineer and lecturer in renewable energy at UWI Cave Hill, emphasised the initiative\u2019s potential to halve fuel prices and drastically reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
\n– Experimental Evidence on the Use of Biomethane from Rum Distillery Waste and Sargassum Seaweed as an Alternative Fuel for Transportation in Barbados<\/strong><\/a>
\nLegena Henry et al. 2021. Inter-American Development Bank TECHNICAL NOTE No IDB-TN-02183, 43 pages “ABSTRACT\u00a0 This paper presents an alternative to the current use of gasoline and diesel for transportation in Barbados. By relying on experimental evidence, it shows that biomethane emanating from the combination of Sargassum seaweed that is found on the seashores of the country with wastewater from rum distillery production can be used to produce an alternative transportation fuel. If implemented successfully, this alternative combustion method can avoid as much as 1 million metric tons of CO2 emissions every year in the country. These findings have important implications for policymakers. First, they can contribute to the national objective of becoming fossil fuel free by 2030 and diversifying the energy matrix. Second, this alternative fuel can improve resilience to natural catastrophes, complementing the transition to renewables and diversification of the sector. Third, the impact on the tourism industry is expected to be high and positive, as the Sargassum seaweed has been declared a national emergency due to its prevalence on beach tourism spots.”<\/p>\nWow!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
This story has been brewing for a while, perhaps since the first waves of Sargassum hit the coast of Barbados! Yesterday (Sep 17), in a post on its Facebook Page, the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus posted … Continue reading