The Caribbean’s largest solar power plant earmarked for Jamaica

Some 60MW of clean electricity would be provided under the project by Canadian firm Solamon Energy Corporation.

TORONTO, Canada, Wednesday January 25, 2012 - Canadian company Solamon Energy Corporation has announced plans for a US $450 million solar power plant in Jamaica, the largest in the Caribbean.

Solamon Senior Vice President Ainsley Brown said several parishes were being considered as future homes of one of three 50-acre plots that when conjoined will provide 60MW of clean electricity.

Brown said: “This program represents a comprehensive approach to renewable energy development, energy diversification, job creation and training for the 21st century.”

“Its success will necessitate a level-headed and like-minded approach at the table, as we are offering to tackle and deal with all elements of risk cooperatively and openly examine the implications of carbon credits, fuel or foreign exchange savings, in order to share the greater benefits of solar with our partners, and the communities they serve over the lifetime of this deal.”

The company said the project is one of the region’s first strategic private-public partnerships that would improve the nation’s energy infrastructure, as well as serve as a beacon to attract additional investment in the Information Communication Technology and greentech sectors.

Brown said further that the mega-project will create many new jobs for Jamaicans, and with the completion of a requisite light manufacturing plant, will establish the island as a bona-fide greentech hub. 

According to the Senior Vice President, the revenue from the sale of carbon credits will be directed toward establishing employee training and certification programs required to build this and many other similar facilities across the Caribbean.

“I believe the utility should not be the only one to benefit from the nation going green,” he explained. 

“JPS, as it currently stands, benefits from green initiatives, from not having to produce that energy, as well as the fuel saving and foreign exchange saving, without passing anything onto the green investor or the customer at large.”

Solamon CEO Graeme Boyce said the company’s partners must also be willing to establish and operate a suitable post-implementation maintenance program, especially in collaboration with government agencies that have offered to provide standards and training certification criteria especially in the growing carbon credit market. Click here to receive free news bulletins via email from Caribbean360. (View sample)