Minister of Science, Technology Energy and Minining, the Hon. Phillip Paulwell.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the motion in this 2013/2014 Budget Debate, truly a critical point for our country, our economy and the well being of our people.
Over the past 15 months, as we negotiated this new crucial IMF Extended Fund Agreement from the ru
Energy minister Phillip Paulwell has announced that his ministry will be partnering with the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) to undertake a $109 million feasibility project at five potential hydropower sites.
The work is being carried out as part of the Energy Security and Efficiency Enhancement Project, which is being funded through a 2011 loan agreement between the Government and the World Bank.
Under the agreement the World Bank has provided US$15 million to finance initiatives to increase Jamaica‘s energy efficiency and improve energy security.
Of this amount, $2.5 million has been allocated to the implementation of the hydro project.
The sites selected to participate in the project are the Rio Cobre River in St. Catherine, Morgan and Negro rivers in St. Thomas, Martha Brae River in Trelawny and Spanish River in Portland.
Paulwell has described the project as significant to his Ministry’s larger plan to develop Jamaica’s renewable energy industry.
The project will be carried out by SP Studio Pietrangeli, an Italian consulting engineering services firm.
Work is scheduled to continue until August 2014.
The Government has committed to having renewable sources supplying at least 20 per cent of Jamaica’s energy supply by 2030.
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Energy minister Phillip Paulwell has announced that his ministry will be partnering with the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) to undertake a $109 million feasibility project at five potential hydropower sites.
The work is being carried out as part of the Energy Security and Efficiency Enhancement Project, which is being funded through a 2011 loan agreement between the Government and the World Bank.
Under the agreement the World Bank has provided US$15 million to finance initiatives to increase Jamaica‘s energy efficiency and improve energy security.
Of this amount, $2.5 million has been allocated to the implementation of the hydro project.
The sites selected to participate in the project are the Rio Cobre River in St. Catherine, Morgan and Negro rivers in St. Thomas, Martha Brae River in Trelawny and Spanish River in Portland.
Paulwell has described the project as significant to his Ministry’s larger plan to develop Jamaica’s renewable energy industry.
The project will be carried out by SP Studio Pietrangeli, an Italian consulting engineering services firm.
Work is scheduled to continue until August 2014.
The Government has committed to having renewable sources supplying at least 20 per cent of Jamaica’s energy supply by 2030.
Read more:
Energy efficiency services are attractive for solar companies
The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) is urging the Office of Utilities Regulation
The Office of Utilities Regulations (OUR) has pushed back the date for providing a recommendation to the government on the supply of 360 megawatts of power to the national grid.
The OUR says it decided to move the deadline from March 31 to April 15 after it received more proposals than expected.
According to the OUR, it has received proposals from five entities which will require more time for it to carry out its analysis.
The OUR says it has engaged the services of an independent consultant to assist in evaluating the proposals.
The 360 megawatts project is part of efforts by the government to bring down the cost of electricity.
The project was originally awarded to the Jamaica Public Service Company but the request for proposal process was reopened after the light and power entity failed to satisfy all the requirements of the bid.
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After years of work, LED lighting company have finally achieved their goal of producing a good replacement for the common 60-watt incandescent bulb.
Cree earlier this week released a bulb that mimics the light and shape of the conventional incandescent with aggressive pricing, ranging from just under $10 for a 40-watt equivalent to just under $14 for a 60-watt equivalent. (See,
The Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) says it will be spending $5.6 million to upgrade the lighting facilities in three public-sector entities as part of efforts to drastically reduce their energy bills.
The upgrading work will be carried out on the May Pen and Spanish Town hospitals, as well as the Jamaica Police Convalescent Centre (JPCC).
According to the PCJ, this is projected to result in energy savings of 29,780 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, which translates into cost savings of more than J$950,000 annually.
Under the programme, the maternity ward at the Spanish Town Hospital will be retrofitted with fixtures “and other equipment” to reduce the use of electricity in the facility.
“The upgrade will cover restrooms, storerooms and general patient areas, most of which will be equipped with sensors to regulate lighting based on occupancy. The PCJ anticipates that the improvements will cut the hospital’s energy usage by 36,000 kWh per year,” said Dr Peter Ruddock, manager of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficient at the PCJ.
Similarly, the PCJ will be installing a solar photovoltaic system, rehabilitating old lighting poles and replacing existing halogen lighting with LED (light-emitting diode) lamps.
In addition, the JPCC is set to reduce its energy usage by 17,000 kWh per year as a result of the lighting-efficiency improvements recently undertaken at that institution.
The PCJ said during the last fiscal year, it invested more than J$53 million on public-sector energy-efficiency projects which are projected to result in more than $19.7 million in savings annually.
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THE Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) has undertaken a $5.6-million upgrade of the lighting facilities at the May Pen and Spanish Town hospitals and the Jamaica Police Convalescent Centre, in its bid to help reduce the public sector‘s energy bill.
The three institutions are the latest to benefit from a PCJ programme that facilitates the increased use of energy-efficiency technology by public sector entities.
