The $700 million investment needed to get the Cahill waste-to-energy plant operational could instead be used to purchase solar energy storage facilities to supply more than half of Barbados with electricity nightly.
Mark Hill, alternative energy campaigner and founder of solar energy company Innogen, put forward this suggestion last night at a town hall meeting which discussed the dangers of the proposed waste incinerator plant, for which Government has signed a memorandum of understanding with Cahill Energy.
Alternative energy campaigner, Mark Hill
American scientist-turned environmental activist, Professor Paul Connett, and retired Chief Town Planner, Leonard St Hill, joined Hill to comprise a panel which led off the discussion at the Lester Vaughan Secondary School.
“Barbados can run 100 per cent [off] the sun and wind combined. We do not need to use this technology to supply our power,” Hill said to loud applause.
“Right now, at the price of energy, the investment value [of the project] can go to producing almost 250 gigawatts hours of storage. That money planned to be spent on the plant can be spent on storage which can actually power 60 to 70 per cent of our island needs at night,” Hill said.
“We really need to rethink our energy strategy,” he added.