The Barbados Agriculture and Food Security Minister Indar Weir announced the Portvale Sugar Factory may soon be used to produce renewable energy from its biomass.
If stakeholders come together, the project could be in place by 2020 said the Minister.
Energy would come from burning bagasse, a bi-product in the production of sugar, to make biomass. Many projects in the Caribbean take advantage of existing sugar factories to produce this renewable energy: as Barbados’ only sugar factory, Portvale may become the first energy producer of this kind on the island.
“We are going to be producing our own energy at Portvale, but we will be in a position to provide enough energy to provide to the national grid”, added the Minister. “This also is going to be supported by the project which the Barbados Sugar Industries Ltd is currently pursuing to create a Biomass pilot project.”
