(From left) Professor E Nigel Harris, Vice Chancellor, University of the West Indies (UWI) in conversation at the launch of the Promoting Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Buildings project, with Professor Anthony Clayton; Dr Camille Bell-Hutchinson; Edu Hassing and Professor Tara Dasgupta
BUILDINGS which generate as much or more power than they consume.
That is the future for Jamaica
(From left) Professor E Nigel Harris, Vice Chancellor, University of the West Indies (UWI) in conversation at the launch of the Promoting Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Buildings project, with Professor Anthony Clayton; Dr Camille Bell-Hutchinson; Edu Hassing and Professor Tara Dasgupta
BUILDINGS which generate as much or more power than they consume.
That is the future for Jamaica
ENERGY minister Phillip Paulwell has set a deadline of January 2016 for the completion of the expansion and upgrade of the state-run oil refinery Petrojam.
Paulwell, guest speaker on Monday at two Constant Spring Road-based service stations which have introduced the eco-friendly Ultra Low Sulphur Diesel (ULSD) fuel, said the construction had to be along that timetable.
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A section of the government-operated oil refinery Petrojam.
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“We have been told the new generating capacity of electricity will be in place by January, 2016, so we have to finish the expansion and upgrade of the refinery by then,” Paulwell told Auto.
Paulwell, the minister of science, technology, energy and mining, said he would advance the argument at tomorrow’s PetroCaribe Summit in Nicaragua.
Jamaica is one of 18 countries which benefit from the PetroCaribe agreement, drafted by the now deceased
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Workers at the Jamaica Power Plant (JPP) in Rockfort, St Andrew this morning staged a protest at the gate of the company. The JPP workers claim that they are being unfairly treated by officials of the company. “Last week they made 15 workers at the company redundant and we hear there are plans to relieve more workers,” one protesting worker said. The worker was one of several placard-bearing protestors who threatened that protest action will continue until they are addressed by management of the company. –Kimmo Matthews Read more: The Jamaican government says it will establish a “firm” schedule to implement the upgrading and expansion of the Petrojam refinery, as it seeks to make the operations more modern and efficient. Science, Technology, Energy and Mining Minister Phillip Paulwell, said the issue will be discussed at the 8th PetroCaribe Summit, scheduled for June 29, in Nicaragua. “We have been talking too long about the upgrade of this refinery, it has been producing for us for close to 40 years. We are now on a firmer path, especially since the new president of Venezuela has assumed office, to pursue some of the things that were not done, over the last five years, including the expansion and upgrade of the Petrojam refinery,” he said. Paulwell said the government is hoping to move this process a step closer to fruition, with the Venezuelan government having already committed, as part of the economic zone of PetroCaribe, a relationship which will see value added, along with efficiency. In May, during the PetroCaribe ministerial meeting in Venezuela member states agreed on an economic zone to boost regional development and Paulwell said that Jamaica will eventually produce its own ultra-low sulphur diesel, as this will be synchronised with upgrading of the refinery. “We are importing this fuel, and it’s not our intention that this will be a long-lasting activity. The day will soon come when we will be producing this fuel in Jamaica.” 2006 agreement In 2006 Jamaica signed an agreement with Venezuela for a 49 per cent stake in Petrojam, and as part of the agreement, production should have moved from an average of 30,000 to 50,000 barrels of petroleum products daily, starting in 2007, but this output has not yet been realised. “We are now back on track. We have to update some of the financials, and the first thing the Board has agreed to do, with the support of Venezuela, is to get that front-end engineering design project updated, so that we have figures that are more realistic than the2007/2008 figures,” Paulwell said. Paulwell said that many of the features of the expansion project are now more positive than they were in 2007, to justify the expansion and upgrading of the refinery. “It will enable us to produce those things that we use in Jamaica – LPG, gasolene, and low sulphur diesel – so that we will be almost self-sufficient, and be able to export some of it,” he said, pointing out that the by-product, petcoke, will enable the generation of 100 megawatts of cheap electricity. “What we will be doing this weekend in Nicaragua is to establish the firm schedule towards its implementation and funding,” the minister said. Upgrading of the refinery will ensure its viability in the long-term and allow for the installation of treatment facilities to meet new environmental specifications for diesel oil, and gasolene. Additionally, Paulwell said discussions will be held at the Summit on the trade compensation mechanism aspect of the PetroCaribe Agreement, which allows Jamaica to trade goods and services, as part of the process of repaying PetroCaribe loans. “We have a very significant development, which we hope will be crystallised this week, in Nicaragua,” he said. Under PetroCaribe, Jamaica and other Caribbean countries benefit from preferential rates on crude oil, refined products, and LPG or its energy equivalent, from Venezuela. The payment arrangement allows for purchase of oil on market value for 40 per cent up-front, within 90 days. The remainder of the payment can be made over a period of 25 years with one per cent interest, provided that oil prices are above US$40 per barrel. – CMC Read more: KINGSTON, Jamaica LATIN America and the Caribbean’s renewable energy endowment is large enough to cover its projected 2050 electricity needs 22 times over, according to a new report commissioned by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). The report, Rethinking our Energy Future, argues that lower prices and new technologies are making renewables a viable alternative. Solar, geothermal, wave, wind and biomass sources in this region could produce up to 80 petawatt-hour of electricity. One petawatt-hour is equivalent to one trillion kilowatt-hour, roughly three times the amount of electricity Mexico consumes in one year. At present, Latin America generates 1.3 petawatt hour. By 2050, demand is expected to grow to between 2.5 to 3.5 petawatt- hour. The report addresses a series of myths surrounding renewable energies, noting that several of these alternative technologies have become price competitive with conventional technologies, offer good investment opportunities and should be taken into consideration by policymakers aiming to diversify their national energy matrixes, reduce fuel supply vulnerabilities and cut greenhouse gas emissions. “Though Latin America uses more renewable energy than any other region in the world, it faces difficult choices as it seeks to generate the electricity it needs to grow without harming the environment,” said IDB President Luis Alberto Moreno. “Renewables are becoming a viable and attractive option that needs to be explored.” The report was presented yesterday in Bogot The United SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) The Labour Ministry is to intensify its efforts to help businesses facing challenges to remain productive and
A solar panel is seen in this photo. Lower prices and new technologies are making solar, wind and other resources competitive with fossil fuels for power generation, according to the Inter-American Development Bank.
