The Jamaica Public Service Company, JPS on Thursday launched an improvement project to upgrade its hydro-electric plant in Magotty, St Elizabeth.
The company says it plans to invest more than 33 million US dollars to improve the capacity of electricity by 6 point 3 megawatts to its national grid. This new plan is expected to improve power to approximately 25 thousand homes. The company also plans to spend more than 73 million US dollars over a four year period - from 2012 to 2016 and employ over one hundred persons. The Maggotty expansion project is slated to begin in October and end in July 2013.
The project is part of the government's energy policy which aims for a fuel mix of at least 20 percent renewable energy by 2013. The existing plant was constructed in 1959 and previously produced 40 per cent of JPS's electricity but the company says the capacity has now been significantly reduced. Meanwhile Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell says he's currently in discussions with the Finance Ministry with a view to providing incentives for Jamaicans to make use of equipment which utilize renewable energy sources.
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