Barbados Launches First Bio-CNG Vehicle Powered By Sargassum

Rum and Sargassum Inc., a local deep-tech start-up, and The University of the West Indies Cave Hill campus have launched the first vehicle powered by bio-compressed natural gas (CNG). The bio-CNG uses rum distillery wastewater and a sargassum-based biomethane, an innovative fuel source derived from the invasive seaweed which is plaguing the region’s coasts. The seasonal issue posed by sargassum on the island’s beaches is now being turned into a valuable resource as the country seeks to achieve its goal of becoming a 100 per cent renewable energy and carbon-neutral island state by 2030. The project, spearheaded by Rum and Sargassum Inc., is an achievement for sustainable development in the Caribbean, thanks to partners like the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE). Dr. Legena Henry and her team from the Renewable Energy Development Laboratory at the Cave Hill Campus are the innovators of the biomethane fuel. Speaking during the launch of the vehicle, she said, “UWI Cave Hill Campus is really an incubator for creativity and innovation. Why I celebrate Cave Hill so much is because Barbados is a creative society, and we are leading the region right now in the energy transition.” Additionally, she drew attention...