2024 Energy Development Scholarship Awarded to Young Professionals Kevin Best and Shamari Cave for Barbados’ Renewable Energy Goals

Two young professionals, Kevin Best and Shamari Cave, have been awarded the prestigious Energy Development Scholarship for 2024.

The announcement was made on Tuesday during a presentation ceremony where the recipients were lauded for their dedication to their fields. The scholarship, valued at approximately $90 000 annually, is designed to advance the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the energy challenges Barbados faces in its pursuit of a 100 per cent renewable energy and carbon-neutral economy by 2030.

Chief Geologist at the Ministry of Energy, Nesha Nurse said the award is “an embodiment of our belief in the power of education and training to not only advance individual careers but also to benefit our nation”.

Minister of Energy Senator Lisa Cummins shared Nurse’s sentiments, and praised the work being done to innovate within Barbados’ energy sector. She spoke of recent groundbreaking projects, including the launch of Barbados’ first sargassum-powered car, in collaboration with the University of the West Indies (UWI).

“This is an indication of the investment that not just Barbados generally, but certainly this ministry, is making in innovation,” she said.

The minister expressed enthusiasm about the role of education in driving these innovations forward.

“From early learning . . . all the way up to postgraduate students like the two we have here, Kevin Best and Shamari Cave, this is the investment in the energy sector that this ministry is committed to,” she said.

Best, a geologist with the Barbados National Oil Company, is heading to the University of Leeds to pursue a Master’s in Petroleum Geophysics.

“This programme will increase our technical capabilities and provide expertise in geophysics, including 3D seismic interpretation and reservoir modelling,” he said as he expressed gratitude for the scholarship.

Cave, a technical officer at the Coastal Zone Management Unit, will be studying for a Master’s in Coastal Engineering at the University of Plymouth. He acknowledged the pivotal role the scholarship would play in his future work, particularly in the energy sector’s offshore aspirations. “This degree will allow me to gain new knowledge in coastal engineering processes, which will be a big advantage in helping Barbados meet its goal of being carbon neutral by 2030,” Cave said.

Both recipients are set to begin their studies this month. Cave leaves on September 19 while Best departs three days later.

Minister Cummins told the awardees: “We are looking forward to seeing the outputs of your work and to watching you excel as all Barbadians who go off on scholarship always do.”

She urged them to be bold in their academic pursuits, noting that Barbados is uniquely positioned to lead in renewable energy expertise on the global stage.

“Barbados has to begin to use that reputation, the skills we have developed, to become the leading exporter of skills, knowledge, and innovation,” she said.