Government is accelerating its energy transition efforts by incorporating both battery and hydrogen storage solutions to drive down energy costs and improve efficiency.
Minister of Energy and Business Senator Lisa Cummins highlighted this initiative during debate on the Appropriation Bill, 2025, in the Senate yesterday, outlining a strategic framework for the country’s renewable energy future.
She stressed the importance of a diversified energy storage system, explaining that short-term storage needs will be met through battery technology, while hydrogen will play a critical role in long-range energy storage.
“That project allows us to be able to use battery storage for short-term storage, but to use hydrogen for longrange storage. That also helps to drive the cost down,” she stated.
She added this aligns with the broader objectives of the Electricity Planning Unit, which was established two years ago to guide the country’s energy transformation. To bolster this unit’s effectiveness, Government is seeking to expand its workforce by bringing in specialists to enhance national capacity in renewable technologies.
“We will be creating a series of initiatives . . . including a dedicated projects unit, where persons on contract can come in and provide support to the Ministry of Energy. This will help us build capacity in newer forms of technology like wind, hydrogen and any other emerging technologies,” the minister noted.
Technical expertise
The Leader of Government Business in the Upper Chamber emphasised the necessity of skill development within the energy sector. She pointed out that prior to the rise of the solar industry, there was a shortage of trained personnel in photovoltaic installation. “We have them now because the industry has developed. But what about persons skilled in hydrogen? What about those skilled in wind energy?”
To address this, she said Government will be investing in skill development programmes in collaboration with tertiary level institutions, ensuring that Barbadians have the technical expertise required to support the country’s energy transformation.
Cummins linked the energy transition to economic development, noting that the sector’s advancement must be aligned with the needs of businesses and industry. She referenced the recently launched Energy Transition Investment Plan, which breaks down the national strategy by sector.
“It’s fine to talk about macro-level policy, but what are the things that matter to people? The individual things, the sectoral things?” she asked.
In a move to support businesses in their own energy transitions, Government is engaging with the industrial sector to assess the retirement schedules for fossil fuel-based infrastructure. This will allow businesses to plan capital expenditures for renewable energy adoption in alignment with national transition timelines, Cummins explained.
She also refuted recent criticisms suggesting Government had shifted focus away from energy transition in favour of transport and industry, stating that the two areas were interconnected.
“Sometimes when people don’t understand it, they write very strange things that are not logical. We have not pivoted away from energy transition; transport and industry are critical components of the process.”
(CLM)
