Jerome Reynolds, Gleaner Writer
The Jamaican and Venezuelan governments are to work out a new payment deal under PetroCaribe, which could see Jamaican cement being sold in that market under a special arrangement.
The Energy Minister, Phillip Pauwell says, the Venezuelan government gave its assurance the deal will continue during a PetroCaribe summit on the weekend.
Paulwell says the Jamaican Government is grateful for the continuation of the deal by the
THE Government, after more than 10 years trying to divest the Petroleum Company of Jamaica Limited (Petcom), has set up an enterprise team for the privatisation of the entity. “Mr Erwin Jones, chairman of Petrojam, will lead this team. We are currently having a valuation of the company’s assets done and we will announce more as information becomes available,” Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell told Parliament yesterday during his contribution to the 2013/14 Budget Debate at Gordon House in Kingston.
Paulwell, arguing that Petcom has been a strategic asset in the petroleum marketing sector, said he hoped that the entity would remain a strong player in the market. “Again, I encourage local investors to participate in the ownership of this important Jamaican asset,” the minister told the House. Petcom 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 APPLIANCE Traders Limited (ATL) has expanded into the alternative energy business. ATL Energy Solutions will add solar water heaters, photovoltaic panels and other devices for revewable power to the appliance retailers energy-efficient product line.
The division will also provide technical consultancy on assessing, designing and implementing scalable energy-saving solutions for businesses and homes. “We want to demystify the alternative energy space for our customers making it easier for them to determine the best path to reducing their energy consumption,” said Paul Grey, ATL’s energy and engineering manager. The introduction of the industrial giant’s new division comes after months of extensive research and analysis of global alternative energy providers to identify the best solutions for the Jamaican market according to the division head. “Record energy prices in Jamaica as well as in the international marketplace have heightened the need for sustainable alternatives. Expanding into the energy business is a natural progression for ATL given our history of providing advanced engineering and industrial solutions for major projects in Jamaica and the Caribbean,” said Grey. “Our mandate with ATL Energy Solutions is to provide our customers with a comprehensive resource centre to assess, design, implement, and service energy-saving technology and equipment that will reduce consumption patterns and ultimately energy receipts.” ATL already has solid footing in the alternative energy space executing a joint $8.6-million initiative with eco-innovation leaders Panasonic. The project saw the construction of a prototype eco-villa at Sandals Montego Bay, the first of its kind in Jamaica. The luxury suites are fully powered by Panasonic’s photovoltaic systems as well utilise all inverter appliances and electronics. Additionally, the company inked an exclusive arrangement with leading Israeli solar technology company Nimrod Industries Limited to distribute its solar water heaters as well as implemented its own Eco-Smart seal to earmark ‘green’ electronics in its product line-up. “We are at a transformational period in the Jamaican energy sector that requires us to either heavily curb our existing consumption patterns or look to alternative sources of power,” said Grey. “Our strategic partnerships enable us to offer a gamut of solutions across a range of applications for both our commercial and residential customers. From LED light bulbs which can last over 50,000 hours to solar photovoltaic (PV) panels which can last up to 25 years or even inverter appliances which save up to 60 per cent on power bills, we have solutions for the energy-mindful consumer.” ATL also provides detailed energy audits from which customers can readily evaluate their savings.
APPLIANCE Traders Limited (ATL) has expanded into the alternative energy business. ATL Energy Solutions will add solar water heaters, photovoltaic panels and other devices for revewable power to the appliance retailers energy-efficient product line.
The division will also provide technical consultancy on assessing, designing and implementing scalable energy-saving solutions for businesses and homes. “We want to demystify the alternative energy space for our customers making it easier for them to determine the best path to reducing their energy consumption,” said Paul Grey, ATL’s energy and engineering manager. The introduction of the industrial giant’s new division comes after months of extensive research and analysis of global alternative energy providers to identify the best solutions for the Jamaican market according to the division head. “Record energy prices in Jamaica as well as in the international marketplace have heightened the need for sustainable alternatives. Expanding into the energy business is a natural progression for ATL given our history of providing advanced engineering and industrial solutions for major projects in Jamaica and the Caribbean,” said Grey. “Our mandate with ATL Energy Solutions is to provide our customers with a comprehensive resource centre to assess, design, implement, and service energy-saving technology and equipment that will reduce consumption patterns and ultimately energy receipts.” ATL already has solid footing in the alternative energy space executing a joint $8.6-million initiative with eco-innovation leaders Panasonic. The project saw the construction of a prototype eco-villa at Sandals Montego Bay, the first of its kind in Jamaica. The luxury suites are fully powered by Panasonic’s photovoltaic systems as well utilise all inverter appliances and electronics. Additionally, the company inked an exclusive arrangement with leading Israeli solar technology company Nimrod Industries Limited to distribute its solar water heaters as well as implemented its own Eco-Smart seal to earmark ‘green’ electronics in its product line-up. “We are at a transformational period in the Jamaican energy sector that requires us to either heavily curb our existing consumption patterns or look to alternative sources of power,” said Grey. “Our strategic partnerships enable us to offer a gamut of solutions across a range of applications for both our commercial and residential customers. From LED light bulbs which can last over 50,000 hours to solar photovoltaic (PV) panels which can last up to 25 years or even inverter appliances which save up to 60 per cent on power bills, we have solutions for the energy-mindful consumer.” ATL also provides detailed energy audits from which customers can readily evaluate their savings.
WASHINGTON (CMC) CHIEF Executive Officer (CEO) of Jamaica’s PetroCaribe Development Fund (PDF) Dr Wesley Hughes has said that even a facile victory by
AZUREST Partners and Cambridge Project Development are saying that natural gas electricity generation can happen in Jamaica in little over a year. The two firms’ joint submission to the Office of Utilities Regulations (OUR) proposes to use natural gas-fired power barges, which can be built within 12 to 15 months after getting the go-ahead from the Government.
What’s more, they believe that they can access liquefied natural gas (LNG) economically, “because we will have our own LNG source in the US Gulf Coast, the cheapest gas source in the world”. The idea is to directly feed the power barges located in Jamaica from its fleet of smaller LNG supply vessels. “Our smaller ships, of a scale appropriate to Jamaica, make our LNG transport process economical,” said Kenneth Allen, managing director of Azurest. Allen said that his proposal allows for a modular approach to building out the generating capacity — each barge can provide 100 megawatts (MW) of capacity — but if allowed to build all of the 400 MW, its LNG-fired plants could save the country US$415 million annually. “If we are allowed to put in all of our 400 MW of clean LNG high-efficiency generation capacity, then we should be able to reduce the price paid by the Jamaican public by at least 10 US cents (from 40 US cents to about 28 US cents), or about 25 per cent across the whole country,” he said. Five entities have presented proposals to the OUR in response to its announcement in February that it would review proposals to supply generation capacity. The OUR aims to advise the Government of the final results of its analysis on Monday. Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) also submitted three proposals for consideration by the OUR, according to the power company’s CEO, Kelly Tomblin. The proposals are for the construction of 360 MW of new generation capacity, using combined cycle technology and a combination of fuel sources: natural gas as primary fuel, with Automotive Diesel Oil (ADO) as backup fuel; natural gas as primary fuel with inlet air cooling power enhancement, and ADO as backup fuel; and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as the primary fuel. However, Wartsila Caribbean, which is the proposed technology provider for three of the bids, including the Cambridge/Azurest joint venture, has said that its reciprocating engines are a good deal more efficient than the combined cycle gas turbines (CCGT) being proposed for use by JPS. The reciprocating engines could save over US$100 million a year more than the proposed CCGT, according to Wartsila Caribbean Vice-president Rodney George — and that’s even without LNG. “Bogue is a living example where the CCGT plant has a combined cycle efficiency of only 40 per cent,” said George. “In comparison, the JEP (Jamaica Energy Partners) West Kingston plant with Wartsila reciprocating engines, have a simple cycle efficiency of close to 45 per cent… regardless of what fuel is utilised, be it LNG, LPG, or ADO, the efficiency quotient remains the same.” Despite suggestions to the contrary, JPS is confident that combined cycle technology is of far greater benefit to the country than other options being considered, such as diesel engine technology, according to the JPS boss. “While we haven’t seen the other proposals, our information shows that CCGT not only offers lower overall costs through greater efficiency and lower operating and maintenance costs. It is also more environmentally friendly,” Tomblin said. “Although JPS and the GOJ continue to evaluate all potential gas supply options, if the immediate supply options for LNG do not result in the desired reduction in electricity charges, LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) is a great option. “LPG is more accessible right now and can be easily incorporated in our long-term plans for fuel diversification and price reduction,” she added. “The current prices show LPG providing attractive cost reductions for our customers.” In the meantime, George proposes that the use of backup liquid fuel such as heavy fuel oil (HFO) is “not far-fetched given the uncertainty of securing LNG or LPG supplies”. Allen said that if the other bidders aren’t using LNG, “they are probably not the lowest cost solution for the Jamaican electricity consumer”. Cambridge is a developer of energy and environmental infrastructure projects focused on the Caribbean and has in-house experience successfully developing over US$2 billion in projects in the Caribbean Basin, as well as the long-term management of over 12 independent power plants. Azurest Partners is a financial advisory and capital-raising firm, where team members have collectively raised over US$900 million in equity and US$2 billion in debt financing for clients in the US, UK and Africa. Read more: Last week’s death of the Venezuelan president,
Minister of Science, Technology Energy and Minining, the Hon. Phillip Paulwell.