The government is working with international development partners to help finance private sector initiatives that convert sargassum into commercially viable products, while examining how its fleet could use the biofuel, Minister of Finance Ryan Straughn has told Barbados TODAY.
Businesses near Enterprise Beach in Christ Church have called for action on the increasing influx of sargassum, which they said has been affecting tourism and driving away customers from their establishments along the popular “Miami Beach” shoreline.
Straughn revealed that the government recently met with international agencies, including the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF), the Inter-American Development Bank and the European Union on a number of financing options to implement some of the solutions the private sector has developed.
He said: “For example, the rum and sargassum company, which is taking the by-product from the rum industry and mixing it with sargassum to generate biofuel that can be used by cars and fleets, is something we met on and have to follow up.”
The government would also examine how its fleet management operations could help support the further commercialisation of the initiative, said Straughn.
“We can see how we can support the further commercialisation of that because it’s a sector that can grow, and certainly with the elevated oil prices and stuff at the moment, it’s something that we feel that we can do in the short term.”
According to the finance minister, the government is also exploring ways to intercept and collect sargassum before it reaches shore:
“We have been working to see how we can keep as much of it as possible from coming onshore, so that we can collect it and use it. There are some logistics involved, which is what the EU has been looking at — how to carry out the harvesting as efficiently as possible so that once it comes onshore, the production cycle can advance without having to store a whole lot of it. Those are still some teething issues to resolve.”
Straughn explained that once sargassum washes ashore and begins to decompose, much of its value is lost.
“Once it is on the beach, it really is no good because it starts to rot. You have to get it when it is fresh so that you can get the best possible value added from it.”
The finance minister explained how its own fleet, including sanitation trucks and other vehicles, could help support adoption of the biofuel:
“Government has its own fleet. Then you have [Sanitation Service Authority] trucks and other vehicles that may require some retrofitting. [Export Barbados] has been looking at what those converters would be, because if we can generate sufficient volumes locally, then it then becomes commercially viable. It is not just for government; there are a number of trucks involved in freight and other activities that could benefit.”
Export Barbados has been researching fuel conversion kits, which could allow vehicles to use the biofuel, Straughn added.
“The reality is that once you have government vehicles and [public service vehicles] involved, once we can get the converters easily accessible — which, as I was told, is roughly US$3 500 ($7 500) — then it starts to become a little more palatable.”
The government is already working with the private sector on a range of possible uses for sargassum:
“There are people looking at fertilisers and a whole range of other things as well. The engineering is already there, and we are now trying to ensure that the logistics make sense, particularly in relation to having a predictable supply so they can move forward.”
The finance ministry has already helped connect potential financing partners with those working on sargassum solutions:
“We have put the financing connections in place. As I said, we are going to look at our own internal management to see how we can ramp up to take some of the pressure in terms of the volatility from it.”
Straughn said he was confident Barbados “will see more of the sargassum being used in return for the benefit of the country”.
(LG)
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