ESET approves 330 megawatts of additional power for Jamaica

The Electricity Sector Enterprise Team (ESET) confirmed on Tuesday that it has signed off on the establishment 330 megawatts of new generating capacity for Jamaica.

This is part of the 380 megawatt project that was originally approved, but which was subsequently shifted away from the initial concept of delivery by a single producer.

At a press conference at the Office of  the Prime Minister, Dr. Vincent Lawrence, ESET Chairman, announced that the Jamaica Public Service Company (the country's sole electricity distributor), "exercising its right of first refusal," will be constructing a 190 megawatt plant. Alpart, the bauxite/alumina company, based at Nain in St. Elizabeth, will be building a 140 megawatt plant, he said.

The third proposal, by Jamalco, another alumina company, is to develop a 50 megawatt coal fired co-generation facility. However, Dr. Lawrence said negotiations have been delayed due to the change in ownership at Jamalco.

Jamalco is still conducting its due diligence and is expected to make a decision by the end of  this month. But Dr. Lawrence said, whatever the outcome of that due digilince, it will not result in the project being abandoned; rather, he said, it may result in a varying of the capacity of the plant.

He said there was also a proposal coming from Pan-Caribbean Sugar Company, for the establishment of a 20 megawatt plant, using bagasse (from sugar cane residue) as its fuel.