December ground-breaking for combined heat and power plant at Jamalco

New Fortress Energy (NFE) will officially break ground for the new combined heat and power plant at Jamalco's Halse Hall, Clarendon, refinery on December 1.

Wesley Edens, founder and chairman of NFE, made the announcement last Friday, ending weeks of speculation as to when the work would begin.

Cabinet approved the Jamalco-proposed project for the establishment of the plant in June 2016 and NFE was engaged to build and operate the cogeneration facility. Construction of the facility is projected for completion in December 2019.

According to Edens, the NFE-led development of this new facility at the Jamalco plant will involve the employment of more than 400 workers during construction.

The major components of the project include a floating storage and re-gasification terminal (FSRT) in the marine environment of Portland Bight; the installation of a pipeline from the Rocky Point Port to the Jamalco Refinery; the construction of the natural gas-fired power station; and the construction of an electricity distribution network to deliver power to the national grid.

In announcing the development, Edens expressed confidence that Jamaica will become a model for the region and the world as the country embraces renewables and the introduction of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

RIPE FOR INVESTMENT

Edens said that Jamaica and the wider Caribbean are ripe for investment as he welcomed the opportunity to pioneer the introduction of natural gas in Jamaica, beginning with the transformation of the Jamaica Public Service Company's Bogue plant in Montego Bay, St James.

In 2016, the Bogue plant was converted from running on automotive diesel oil to natural gas.

NFE will also supply gas to a 190MW gas-fired power plant in Old Harbour, St Catherine, being developed by Jamaica Public Service Company from its marine terminal at Portland Bight.

Edens also expressed optimism about future relationships with the Jamaican manufacturing sector and cited the success of the arrangements with the Jamaica Public Service Company and agreements with Red Stripe, the University of West Indies, and Jamaica Urban Transit Company.