Barbados to establish regional energy centre

Barbados is to establish a Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Energy Minister Darcy Boyce has said.

Boyce, who held talks with Paolo Serpi, Italy’s Special Envoy to the Caribbean, said that the centre, which is expected to be inaugurated at the end of October, would ensure that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries all had the same standards in respect of renewable energy and energy efficiency as well as similar technologies and the necessary legislation in place.

He said the centre will also ensure that there is no wastage of resources by coordinating donors and providing one place where technocrats can meet and make decisions about the way forward.

The Energy Minister said that the European Union and in particular, Austria, had provided the funding for the first two years of operation but told the Italian diplomat that there might be a need for further financial assistance in the future.

Serpi said that renewable energy and climate change were areas in which Italy was keenly interested in sharing experiences with the Caribbean.

He said Italy had been allocated funds by the European Union to support projects in the region and he was very interested in hearing about the kind of projects that needed assistance.