Energy fellowship launches; focus on storage solutions

An energy development scholarship has been launched for a second year to foster skills development in the energy industry, with a particular emphasis on the need for energy storage solutions.

The scholarship, funded by the Australian petroleum company Woodside Energy, was launched by the Ministry of Energy and Business at a press briefing at its Warrens offices. 

Jamar White, director of natural resources in the Division of Energy, explained: “We launched the scholarship last year. We had six applicants. Out of those six, two young Barbadians were awarded scholarships to pursue master’s degrees in offshore wind energy and data science for the energy sector,” he said, adding that the two recipients are due to submit their thesis in August.

“We look forward to offering opportunities to more Barbadian professionals to pursue postgraduate studies in the area of energy. We think it’s very critical in the context of our national energy policy, where we’re seeking to transition Barbados to a net zero energy island.”

Minister of Energy and Business Development Senator Lisa Cummins emphasised the evolving focus areas to meet the dynamic needs of the sector, particularly energy storage’s critical role.

“Last year, there were areas we focused on, including geology and geophysics, petroleum, coastal and offshore engineering, health, safety and environment in the energy sector, petroleum and energy economics, maritime and energy law, data science, coastal dynamics and oceanography, energy management and energy transition,” she said.

Three new areas have been added: sustainable energy solutions, utility-scale energy storage and managing utility power grids.

“We want to encourage Barbadians to apply because skills development is critical for the energy transition,” said Senator Cummins.

“To allow more solar and wind to connect to the grid, without adding storage, the country cannot reach its transition goals.”

She stressed the urgency of developing utility-scale energy storage expertise to support renewable energy ambitions.

“Not only do we need batteries for grid connections, but we need to build capacity for understanding utility-scale storage solutions, [and] skills in batteries. Lithium-ion remains the most commercially viable technology but may not be the only solution.”

The scholarship covers tuition, travel, living costs and is open to Barbadian citizens aged 21-45. Applications close on July 15.  

Senator Cummins called on private and international partners to support the initiative: “This is an opportunity for others to follow Woodside’s leadership, to work with the ministry to offer scholarships in energy transitioning. We’re grateful to Woodside for the financial support enabling this.” (SM)