Susan Smith, Staff Reporter
CALLUM
THERE SHOULD be reduction in power outages starting early 2006 when a new power barge is added to the nation's generating capacity, says the Jamaica Public Service Company Limited (JPS).
Jamaica Energy Partners (JEP), which now provides the JPS with 74 megawatts, will increase its contribution to 123 megawatts (MW). The 10-year-old power generation company has purchased a 50-MW power barge from Wartsila Oyj in Singapore in order to deliver the additional capacity.
The barge is expected to arrive in January 2006 and should be operational by February, according to general manager of JEP, Wayne Mc Kenzie. He said the total of the unit stood at a approximately US$50million (J$3.23 billion) and the new supply contract with JPS is for a period of 20 years.
Communications officer at the JPS Winsome Callum told Wednesday Business that the additional capacity means "More reserve power will be available to meet customers' needs in the event that there are unexpected problems on a number of generating units at the same time others are out of service for routine maintenance."
She said the new capacity is part of a long-term generation expansion plan by the company. "It will increase the country's electricity reserve margin, and allow JPS to better meet the expected growth in demand for electricity."
POSSIBLE GROWTH IN POWER DEMAND
Mr. McKenzie said the demand next year was expected to grow by four - six per cent.
Mrs. Callum explained that the current peak demand for power is approximately 616 MW. With JPS's expected new overall capacity at 814 MW, the
company will have an adequate reserve margin of 149 MW.
Mr. Mc Kenzie said the barge unit is the most practical solution for the medium term since this technology employs higher efficiency than units currently used by the Jamaica Public Service Company Limited.
"It also has the shortest implementation time, the cheapest capital investment that can utilise heavy fuel oil and it can be converted to LNG, (liquefied natural gas)," he said.
JPS has an option to purchase the unit at the end of the contract if it so desires, he explained.
The contract was given to JEP after it won in a bidding process. Ms. Callum said in order to ensure that future generation expansion is done in the most cost-effective manner, the current electricity tariff regime allows for competition.
As a result, the JEP was selec-ted by the Office of Utilities Regulation (OUR) to provide this new capacity.
Ms. Callum said power outages result from vegetation coming in contact with power lines; faults on the transmission and distribution system; weather-related problems on the
power delivery system; illegal connections and motor vehicle accidents.
