Development of renewable energy sources top priority - Broderick
Sales Representative of Appliances Traders Limited, Andrea Thomas (left), informs (from second left), Project Manager, Wigton Windfarm Limited, Michelle Chin Lenn; Senior Geologist, Mines and Geology Division, Suresh Bhalai and Minister of State in the Ministry of Energy and Mining, Hon. Laurence Broderick about the energy saving benefits of the Panasonic Inverter refrigerator.
Minister of State in the Ministry of Energy and Mining,
Hon. Laurence Broderick has reiterated the government’s
thrust towards the further development of renewable
energy sources, while it also focuses on demand
reduction.
He was speaking on March 3, at the first staging of the
Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica’s (PCJ) Energy Seminar
Series, held at the entity’s Trafalgar Road
headquarters.
Mr. Broderick said one of the government’s main focuses
was the diversification of energy sources, which
involves looking at solar, wind and water as viable
options.
“We recognise here at the Ministry that if we are not diversified in our approach, then we are going to suffer, so diversification is really at the heart of the energy policy,” he noted.
“The government is also focusing on demand reduction. We, as individuals, need to examine what we are doing to help ourselves and that’s demand reduction. We have to start looking at lighting technologies, looking at what you can do yourself, looking at your habits, looking at the vehicles you drive and looking at your transportation needs,” the State Minister added.
Minister Broderick further noted that the seminar is being held just a day following the launch of the new phase of the Wigton Windfarm in Rose Hill, Manchester, which highlights the government’s commitment to developing alternative energy sources.
Project Manager of Wigton Windfarm Limited, Michelle Chin Lenn, said that the benefits of wind energy, from an economical, social and environmental perspective, are numerous.
She noted that just from Jamaica’s three existing windfarms, which include Wigton, Munro College and the Jamaica Public Service, the country has the potential to produce some 41.7 mega watts, which could amount to about 109.6 Giga Watt hours per year.
“That means 64,000 barrels of oil are avoided and that
translates into foreign exchange savings,” she remarked,
adding that the country would be saving US$5.8 million
per year.
Miss Chin Lenn also pointed to the environmental
benefits of using wind as a viable energy source.
“Wind projects emit no greenhouse gases, so if we translate that into actual tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2), which can earn carbon credits, we are looking at 91,000 tonnes,” she stated.
The energy seminars are expected to continue throughout the year in Kingston, with at least two workshops being held in other parts of the country. The workshops are expected to cover various topics on energy, including access to, and the development of renewable energy technologies; energy efficiency and conservation; energy in the transport sector; as well as the thrust to lower electricity prices.
The seminars seek to promote behaviour change in energy
use, encourage the implementation of conservation
measures, and support the increased adoption of energy
efficient products and building practices.