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Jamaica Among States To Sign Climate-Change Agreement This Week

April 19, 2016 Webmaster

Mahlung

Kamina Johnson Smith, minister of foreign affairs and foreign trade, will this Friday represent Jamaica during the official signing of the Paris climate-change agreement in New York, following last November’s conference in France.

Some 200 countries had gathered in Paris for the COP 21 climate conference and, in December, adopted the new agreement, which aims to limit carbon emissions.

Clifford Mahlung, project administrator at the Climate Change Division in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, told The Gleaner that the signing is a significant step towards strengthening the work that has started to mitigate the effects of climate change.

“We will be among the other heads of state who will be there. This is the first step towards becoming a party to the Paris agreement because this has to be followed up by ratification,” he said.

“The process towards ratification will require government approval, and so that process is on the way. We should be complete before the year ends.”

Mahlung said now that the agreement is open for signature by the parties to the convention, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has been asked to convene a crucial ceremony, which will be attended by United States President Barack Obama, among others.

NEED FOR SENSITISATION

Making reference to a post-COP 21 discussion held last week at the Four Seasons Hotel in New Kingston, Mahlung said it was important that Jamaicans are sensitised to the importance of the agreement, especially as it relates to carbon emissions.

“With the significance of COP 21, we decided to have this discussion one week before the official signing. This new climate-change agreement builds on the convention and provides the basis which will accommodate further work, with respect to the climate-change process,” Mahlung said.

The agreement itself consists of many areas, including the new long-term goal in keeping future temperatures well below 2˚C and pursuing efforts to keep those temperatures as close to 1.5˚C as possible.

“Even though we contribute less than one per cent to the global emissions, it is important that we do our part to control our energy output, which will signal to the emitters that we are serious about climate change, which will mean also that they have no excuse but to reduce their emissions as well,” he said.

jodi-ann.gilpin@gleanerjm.com

The Gleaner

Electricity Government JPS News

Blackout – Widespread Outage Leaves Thousands In The Dark

April 18, 2016 Webmaster

Winsome Callum

Up to late last night, the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) was yet to determine what caused a “fairly widespread” power outage that left tens of thousands in darkness.

Reports of the outage began to emerge shortly after seven o’clock from Manchester, Hanover, St Mary, Kingston, St Andrew, Portland, St Catherine, Trelawny, St James, Clarendon, and Westmoreland.

The JPS issued a statement almost an hour later, from its Twitter account, advising that “the problem seems to be fairly widespread as customers in several parishes have been affected”.

It added: “We are not able at this point to say what caused the problem or how soon we’ll have everybody back on, but power has already been restored to some areas.”

Winsome Callum, director, corporate communications at JPS, later explained that “a number of generating units went offline simultaneously, resulting in a fairly widespread outage affecting customers in several parishes.

“We are not able at this point to say what caused the units to go offline or how soon we’ll have everyone back,” she added.

Callum explained that the restoration “could take a while because of the pretty involved process of ramping up units before energising the lines”.

Meanwhile, Energy Minister Dr Andrew Wheatley said he had been in contact with the Kelly Tomblin, president and chief executive of JPS, about the situation.

“I’m sure that I will be getting a report on the matter,” Wheatley told The Gleaner.

Last month, the light and power company advised that customers could experience outages between April and May as the company moves to convert its operations at the Bogue power station in St James to natural gas.

The Gleaner

Alternative Energy Crude Oil Electricity Energy Saving JPS LNG News

Delay as American LNG now sees 2017 start-up of export project

April 13, 2016 Webmaster

The JPS power plant in Old Harbour

In an update last week on the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) website American LNG— associate company of New Fortress Energy – said there were likely to be delays at its planned US$250-million onshore LNG export facility at Titusville, Florida. Operations will likely begin in 2017, not in April 2016 as projected before.

American LNG is controlled by Fortress Equity Partners, which is also the parent of New Fortress Energy.

New Fortress Energy won out of a field of eight bidders to provide a long-term natural gas solution for JPS power plants, starting with Bogue in Montego Bay.

In March this year, New Fortress also secured the contract to supply gas to the planned Jamaica Public Service Company (JPSco) Ltd 190MW power plant in Old Harbour, St Catherine.

American LNG, on March 7 committed to supply New Energy with up to 2.26 Bcf/year (billion cubic feet per year).

Overall, American LNG received approval in 2015 to export up to 600,000 mt/year of LNG (approximately 30.2 Bcf/year regasified) in ISO containers to countries with which the US has free-trade agreements.

Now it said that developments at its Titusville facility indicated a likely commercial operation date in 2017 instead of April 2016.

Efforts by the Jamaica Observer to find out from New Fortress how this would affect plans for Bogue were not answered up to press time.

New Fortress last year signed the supply accord with JPSCo to provide LNG for the power company’s 120-MW Bogue power plant at Montego Bay. To this has been added Old Harbour.

The 190MW gas-fired plant is intended to replace 292 megawatts of Heavy Fuel Oil Power Plants in Old Harbour and Hunts Bay which are being phased out.

American LNG told the Department of Energy that it is now producing LNG from its Hialeah facility near Miami from which the first export of LNG occurred February 5.

Natural gas for the facility is supplied by Peninsula Energy Services Co to an affiliate of American LNG.

The project has approval to export LNG in ISO containers to non-free trade agreement nations.

In March, LNG World news online reported that American LNG made the first export from the facility on February 5, 2016.

The Jamaica Observer

Alternative Energy Electricity Energy Saving Government News Solar Energy

Electricity net billing resumes April 11 — Energy ministry

April 10, 2016 Webmaster

KINGSTON, Jamaica – Customers of Jamaica Public Service (JPS) will again be able to apply for licences to sell their excess electricity generated from renewable energy sources to the grid as of April 11, 2016.

Minister of Science Energy & Technology (MSET) Dr Andrew Wheatley today announced that the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) will resume accepting applications on behalf of the ministry for net billing under similar terms as the previously-concluded net billing pilot project until the details of a permanent programme are finalised.

According to a release from the ministry, the decision to continue the programme came out of an agreement reached on April 7 with the OUR and JPS.

All parties agreed that it was in the best interest of all concerned that the net billing programme be resumed so as to strengthen the development of the renewable energy sector in accordance with the National Energy Policy, the release said.

The two-year pilot programme was extended to May 2015, as the system peak demand threshold for net billing was not met. As at March 2015, 351 applications were received, 311 of which were granted licences, the ministry said.

Electricity Government JPS News

GOJ committed to selling stake in JPSCo — DBJ

April 7, 2016 Webmaster

JPS on Knutsford Boulevard in New Kingston

The Development Bank of Jamaica (DBJ) has advised that the Government of Jamaica (GOJ) is committed to selling its stake in the Jamaica Public Service Company Ltd (JPSCo), the island’s sole power distributor. However, timelines for the divestment project and method of sale are not yet determined.

JPSCo, which has assets of near US$1 billion and saw revenues of US $759.82 million in 2015, is owned 19.9 per cent by the GOJ.

Other shareholders are MaruEnergy JPSCO 1 SRL and EWP (Barbados) 1 SRL, each holding 40 per cent interest, and private individuals with 0.1 per cent.

The DBJ, which is home to the government’s divestment unit, said Friday that the GOJ had taken a policy decision to “divest itself of these types of commercial assets once the opportunities arise.

“The government has recognised that in order to build efficient and competitive markets, these types of privatisation initiatives should be undertaken.”

The DBJ said the divestment of the 20 per cent shareholding in the Jamaica Public Service “is intended to broaden the ownership base of assets in the country”.

It did not indicate the method of divestment to be undertaken.

The principal activities of the JPSCo are generating, transmitting, distributing and supplying electricity in accordance with the All-Island Electric Licence issued in 2011.

The Jamaica Observer asked JPSCo, via the company’s communication unit, if other shareholders had the right of first refusal, and if they were considering bidding in a future divestment.

The company declined to answer, stating, “As it happens, we cannot comment on such matters as they would be the subject of confidential discussions as well as the confidential agreements between the parties. Should the Government of Jamaica be divesting their shares, it is likely that the appropriate disclosures will be made in due course.”

JPS also declined to comment on the for sale value of the asset.

Shareholder MaruEnergy JPSCO 1 SRL is incorporated in Barbados and is ultimately owned by Marubeni Corporation, which is incorporated in Japan.

The other partner, EWP (Barbados) 1 SRL, is incorporated in Barbados and is ultimately owned by the Korea Electric Power Corporation, which is incorporated in South Korea.

The GOJ’s ownership in the JPSCo is held collectively through the Accountant General’s Department and the DBJ.

In relation to the schedule for divestment, the DBJ indicated that the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service (MOFP) “has been seeking an appropriate time for divestment of these shares in keeping with its policy. The steps to be taken will depend on the particular method chosen to dispose of the asset.”

JPSCo had total assets of US$933.74 million as at December 31, 2015.

Year-end revenues were US $ 759.82 million versus US$1.023 billion in 2014. Nevertheless, net income for the 12 months of 2015 came out 15 per cent per cent ahead of the prior year.

The company saw profit of US$26.51 million in 2015 versus US$23 million in 2014. Earnings per share were US$ 0.12 in the last year compared to US $0.11 in 2014.

BY AVIA COLLINDER Business reporter collindera@jamaicaobserver.com

The Jamaica Observer

Alternative Energy Crude Oil Electricity Government LNG News

Jamaica After Obama: Obama Visit Improved Energy Prospects For Jamaica

April 6, 2016 Webmaster

Kelly Tomblin, president and chief executive officer of the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), is arguing that the visit of United States President Barack Obama to Jamaica last year has improved the energy prospects for the island.

Tomblin, one of the participants in a Gleaner project ahead of Friday’s one-year anniversary of Obama’s visit, said: “Obama’s visit gave Jamaica greater strength in gas negotiations with gas suppliers by signalling support for US gas to Jamaica, thus increasing competition and the number of available suppliers and supporting greater optimisation of Jamaica’s renewable resource.”

During his two-day visit to the island, Obama announced the formation of an energy fund to finance clean-energy projects in the region. He made the announcement at the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)-US Summit.

“Caribbean countries have one of the highest energy costs in the world. Today, we are announcing new partnerships and a new fund to mobilise private-sector projects in clean energy for the Caribbean and Central America,” he said at the conclusion of the summit.

OPPORTUNITIES NEEDED

The energy fund now forms part of the Caribbean Energy Security Initiative, which aims to reduce the region’s reliance on fossil fuels.

According to Tomblin: “Obama’s visit created more opportunities throughout the energy sector by voicing confidence in Jamaica’s landscape and supporting US investment in Jamaica’s energy sector.”

She called for Jamaica to act fast in capitalising on the opportunities created in the energy sector by the initiatives announced by Obama.

“The only threat exposed during Obama’s visit was the truth that if we don’t act fast, other Caribbean countries will take advantage of the new open door in the energy market and secure the hub position,” she said.

In giving further reflections on the anniversary of the visit, Tomblin highlighted the need for Jamaica to position itself as the hub for the provision of gasolene as a cheaper source of energy.

“Let’s make sure we step fully into this moment he opened up by driving this gas-procurement process through quickly and position Jamaica as an obvious hub for that product which will be key for our neighbours to meet their overall environmental commitments,” she said.

“We cannot afford bureaucracy now.”

Gleaner

Electricity Government JPS News

Portia wants JPS to give discount to seniors

April 5, 2016 Webmaster

SIMPSON MILLER… I am not making the appeal for senior citizens in South West St Andrew alone

MEMBER of Parliament for South West St Andrew Portia Simpson Miller last Thursday pleaded with the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) to implement a discounted energy plan for senior citizens.

Simpson Miller, who presented the main address at a JPS Career Expo held at Caribbean Palms community centre, said that she understood the plight of senior citizens, especially those who no longer earn an income, people who get by no little or no savings, are handicapped by varying and expensive medical complaints, and even those who are dependent on their struggling children and caregivers who try to ensure the comfort of their elders.

“I am aware that every year the company incurs millions of dollars in losses, but I have recognised that our senior citizens are struggling to produce the funds to make the necessary payments on their electricity bills monthly,” Simpson Miller said.

“I am going to beg the JPS to see how they can work out a reasonable rate for our senior citizens. I am not making the appeal for senior citizens in South West St Andrew alone, but for every senior citizen across the country. A number of them have to depend on their children, many of whom are already financially burdened, to survive,” Simpson Miller added.Simpson Miller, leader of the Opposition People’s National Party, said that she was aware that there are a number of things that JPS will have to follow but she hoped they would be able to render some assistance to the vulnerable senior citizens group.

“I hope [too] that you (JPS) could consider how you could work into your plans a way that you could help an old man already struggling to buy food and medication or that crippled man or woman that you are able to give a [special] rate so that these senior citizens, their children or those people who assist them with their bills would not have it so hard finding the funds,” Simpson Miller said.

Jamaica Observer

Alternative Energy Climate Change Electricity Energy Saving Government News Solar Energy

Developing nations became top investors in renewables in 2015 — UN

March 29, 2016 Webmaster

PARIS, France (AFP) — Investment in renewable energy hit a record US$286 billion (256 billion euros) in 2015, more than half of which came from developing countries for the first time, according to a UN report released Thursday.

All told, new money put into solar, wind, biofuels and other cleaner energy technologies has exceeded US$2.3 trillion since 2004, when total investment was less than US$50 billion, it said.

“Renewables are becoming ever more central to our low-carbon lifestyles,” said Achim Steiner, executive director of the UN Environment Programme, which co-wrote the report.

“Importantly, for the first time in 2015, renewables investments were higher in developing countries than developed.”

That shift was led by China and India, both of which have invested heavily in clean energy even as their juggernaut economies continue to be mainly powered by carbon-intensive fossil fuels.

Renewables added more to global energy generation capacity in 2015 than all other technologies combined, including nuclear, coal, gas and mega-hydro projects of more than 50 megawatts.

Despite rock-bottom fossil fuel prices, new clean energy capacity — even excluding nuclear—- outstripped new coal and gas by more than 100 per cent, said the report, Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2016.

The rapid transition to renewables, especially in developing and emerging economies, is “helped by sharply reduced costs, and by the benefits of local power production over reliance on imported commodities”, said Michael Liebreich, chairman of the advisory board of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, which co-launched the report.

As in previous years, the growth in clean energy in 2015 was dominated by solar photovoltaics and wind, which together added 118 gigawatts in generating capacity, nearly a quarter more than the year before.

Wind contributed 62GW and photovoltaics 56 GW, with more modest inputs coming from biomass, geothermal, solar thermal and ‘waste-to-power’, in which waste products are recycled.

The fact that renewables far exceeded conventional energy for new capacity in 2015 shows that a “structural change is underway”, the report said.

But the ultimate goal of a “carbon neutral” global economy enshrined by the world’s nations at UN climate talks in Paris in December is still a distant prospect.

Excluding major hydro projects, renewables still only account for 16 per cent of the world’s total power capacity, even if that figure has consistently climbed by double digits in recent years.

Plummeting costs

Actual electricity generated is even less — barely 10 per cent.

“Despite the ambitious signals from COP21 and the growing capacity of new, installed renewable energy, there is still a long way to go,” said Udo Steffens, president of the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management.

The Paris Agreement inked at the 195-nation ‘COP21’ talks vowed to cap global warming at below two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), a goal that scientists say will require a wholesale shift away from fossil fuels.

Much of the record-breaking investment in clean energy last year came from China, which spent nearly US$103 billion (92 billion euros), 17 per cent more than in 2014 and 36 per cent of the world total.

India was a distant second, spending US$10.2 billion, followed by South Africa (US$4.5 billion), Mexico (US$4 billion) and Chile (US$3.4 billion).

Morocco, Turkey and Uruguay filled out the list of nations, investing at least US$1 billion.

Overall, developing countries poured 17 times more money into clean energy last year than in 2004.

Jamaica Observer

Crude Oil Electricity News Oil

Has oil bottomed out?

March 29, 2016 Webmaster

ANGRA DOS REIS, Brazil —Â In this September 22, 2010 file photo, workers stand by the construction of Petrobras oil platforms in the BrasFels shipyard in Angra dos Reis, Brazil. Brazil’s State-run oil company reported on Monday a record quarterly loss due to a large reduction in some of its assets amid lower oil prices.

Energy stocks and energy-related bonds have had a rough ride over the past year and a half after outperforming considerably over the last decade.

The reason for the decline was simple: the sharp decline in oil prices from over US$100 a barrel to just above US$40 currently.

WTI crude, which was at a high of US$96 in June 2014, is currently trading at US$40 a barrel for a 58 per cent drop, while Brent crude which traded as high as US$107.75 in June 2014 fell 62 per cent to be trading around the US$41 level.

The slide began due to significantly increased supply of US oil production, as hydraulic fracturing was able to retrieve oil from previously difficult to get at locations, as a result of improved drilling technologies. The combination of high oil prices and low interest rates, emanating from Central Banks’ accommodative monetary policies, made such projects economically viable. Consequently, US oil production increased 80 per cent from 2008 through 2014, according to one estimate.

Crude oil inventories in storage at Cushing, Oklahoma, the largest storage hub in the US, increased from 20 million barrels in the middle of 2014 to just below 70 million presently. In addition, on the demand side, slower growth in demand from China seemingly played a significant role in prices declining.

Finally, there was quite a bit of feeling that the high price of oil merely reflected trading and speculation, and that the whole situation would unravel at some point as fundamentals declined. In this case, the catalyst was OPEC’s strategy to increase production in an already oversupplied market to protect market share and ultimately force production cuts from non-OPEC sources as the price plunge continued.

Oil prices fell in excess of 30 per cent in 2014, 40 per cent in 2015, and by mid-February 2016 had plunged by a further 30 per cent, trading in the mid-20s, but have since rallied some 50 per cent to around US$40 a barrel currently. So what’s next for oil? While it’s difficult to predict the future, a continued recovery or at least stability in oil prices, should persist as supply and demand dynamics come back into balance.

Oil slumped to a 12-year low this year on protracted excess supply concerns before rising on speculation that stronger demand and falling US output, coupled with talks of a production freeze between OPEC and Russia, would ease the global surplus. Additionally, there’s the potential for supply shocks in the future after energy companies from Chevron Corp to BP Plc cut billions of US dollars in spending amid the price crash, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).

Support for oil on the demand side should come from the observation that oil demand tends to go up over time. Global demand for oil, according to an economic estimate, increased from 75.9 million barrels per day in 2000 to 94.2 million barrels per day in 2015 and is expected to rise to 95.6 million in 2016.

The IEA recently expressed the view that oil prices had reached their bottom, given recent developments on the supply side of the equation in particular and improving outlook on the demand side.

OPEC also is apparently anticipating average oil prices of US$50.00 for 2016. It has become increasingly apparent that given the difference fracking has made in increasing available supply to the United States, we will not see US$100 a barrel for a long time — perhaps never again as we begin a slow but likely definite transition to cleaner fuels.

As oil prices continue to rise, look out for more lucrative buying opportunities in some still beaten-down energy assets — but as usual be sure to consult with your investment advisor to ensure that your selections are right for you.

Jamaica Observer

Electricity JPS LNG News Oil

JPS Gets Green Light To Build 190MW Plant

March 29, 2016 Webmaster

The oil-fired JPS power plant in Old Harbour Bay, St Catherine is to be replaced with a gas-fired plant.

Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) says the National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) has approved the construction of the 190-megawatt gas-fired power plant at Old Harbour Bay, St Catherine.

The Office of Utilities Regulation and the Electricity Sector Enterprise Team have also given formal approval of the power purchase agreement for the new facility, the power utility said.

JPS President and CEO Kelly Tomblin said the utility was now finalising details of the project with equipment supplier General Electric Corp, and engineering procurement and construction company Power China. The latter company has been contracted to build the plant.

The arrangements for the project are to be finalised within the next two weeks.

JPS’ disclosure of the project approval follows its weekend announcement, via a posting on its website, that it had finalised an agreement with New Fortress Energy to supply the Old Harbour plant with natural gas.

“We are now at an advanced stage in relation to closing the financing of the project, which we expect to be completed by the end of April,” said the JPS chief executive.

New Fortress is also the utility’s gas supply partner for the power plant at Bogue in Montego Bay.

The Old Harbour plant will be a brand new facility. Once built, JPS plans to dismantle the current oil-fired plant at Old Harbour and return the site to brownfield status.

“We anticipate that this new power plant will be generating electricity at below 13 US cents per kWh when it comes on line, which is remarkable, given the necessity to build new infrastructure and bear the transportation and other logistic costs,” Kelly said.

The timelines for the project were laid out during last November’s public consultations on the environmental impact assessment report.

JPS said yesterday that there are no changes to the timeline for site preparation for the liquefied natural gas plant, which is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2016, giving the utility just days to hit that deadline.

Construction will begin by the second quarter and the plant’s commissioning is expected by July 2018.

JPS entered into a memorandum of understanding in December 2015 with a Chinese company, now identified as Power China to build the 190, megawatt plant.

The Chinese company replaced the Spanish engineering and renewable energy firm Abengoa, which filed for bankruptcy protection just days after striking a deal with JPS.

The Jamaican utility reaffirmed on Wednesday that the 190MW project is expected to cost around US$300 million.

The gas component, which includes development of a terminal and pipelines to the JPS plant, is a separate project to be undertaken by New Fortress. The arrangement is similar to that agreed for the Bogue plant.

JPS also already had dealings with General Electric, which is converting the diesel-fired Bogue plant to a combined cycle operation to burn either diesel or LNG.

The conversion is costing JPS US$22.74 million or about $2.7 billion, and is scheduled to wrap up by midyear.

Gleaner

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