Minister Williams Calls For Change In Mindset On Energy

Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Hon. Fayval Williams, is calling for a change in mindset as Jamaica embraces a new era of energy that is focused on increasing the use of renewable resources.

She said that all key players, including the Jamaica Public Service (JPS), “will have to upend old thinking, embrace new approaches, overcome developing challenges and demonstrate resilience in confronting the shifting landscape of the energy sector”.

Mrs. Williams was addressing the farewell ceremony for the fourth Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) Ministerial Meeting at the JPS Power Station in Bogue, St. James, on Friday (February 28).

She noted that the power company, as a leader in the sector, has a key role to play in raising awareness about energy and encouraging behaviour change.

She said that priority must be placed on accelerating the incorporation of renewable energy, which will require strategic repositioning by JPS.

Mrs. Williams said that, going forward, a deepening of public-private partnerships must occur as well as “strengthening of stakeholder engagement and an embracing of a shared vision for Jamaica’s energy sector as together we seek to improve the lives of the people of this country”.

Station Manager at the Bogue plant, Ruben Thomas, for his part, said that the facility is operating at 10 per cent improved efficiency in comparison to when it was commissioned in 2003.

“That is a testament to our continued improvement of the asset through enhanced technology and operation processes,” he noted.

He said the JPS continues to invest heavily in its assets in order to boost output and efficiency, and is currently carrying out major maintenance and upgrading works.

At the end of the project, the efficiency of the combined cycle plant will be further improved, with enhanced reliability and lowering of operating and maintenance costs.

Bogue, which was converted to run on gas, as well as automotive diesel oil (ADO) in 2016, is the first combined-cycle plant in the English-speaking Caribbean as well as the first to use natural gas on the island.

The facility, which sits on 21 acres of land, started out with two 1MW diesel-generating units, and now boasts 225 megawatts of peaking and base load capacity.

After the farewell function, Minister Williams and delegates at the ECPA Ministerial Meeting were taken on a tour of the Bogue power plant by President and Chief Executive Officer of the JPS, Emanuel DaRosa.

Energy ministers and other stakeholders from across the region participated in a two-day meeting held at the Montego Bay Convention Centre in St. James from February 27 to 28, under the theme ‘Energy resilience and investment opportunities’.