The Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) is currently talking to two foreign companies to encourage the establishment of a solar water heater factory in Jamaica.
Wigton Wind Farm, which is the renewable energy arm of PCJ, is looking to double its capacity to over 40 megawatts. Besides other onshore sites that have already been surveyed, there is offshore potential for a further 80MW of wind power, believes Dr. Raymond Wright, former PCJ Group Managing Director. However, costs for such projects will have to fall before this is feasible, added Dr. Wright.
PCJ is also seeking to start a hydropower project of about 1.5MW, at a so far undisclosed location. A further large-scale project on the Rio Cobre could generate a further 49.5MW, said Dr. Wright. The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) currently has 21.8MW of hydropower within the national grid capacity of 821MW.
Co-generation from the sugar industry has the potential to generate 100MW, believes Jamaica-based Gibson Energy Ltd., which is one of the companies bidding to buy the Sugar Company of Jamaica (SCJ) from the Government. The Jamalco bauxite refinery supplies 6MW from co-generation to the national grid.
The Office of the Utility Regulations has published its rules for net metering private selling of electricity to the JPS. A 15 per cent premium will be paid for electricity generated from renewable resources.
Pending a current trial using government vehicles, ethanol could replace imported MTBE as the 10 per cent fuel additive, saving the country US$40 million in foreign exchange and will be supplied by the Petrojam Ethanol Refinery.
The Government has set a target of US$25 million to be raised for its energy fund which will offer loans to renewable energy and energy-saving projects. The National Housing Trust also offers loans to buy solar water heaters.
