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Jamaica's Energy Crisis
The Jamaica Herald
Sunday 7/27/08
by: Bobby Marsh
The recent presentation to Parliament by the Energy Minister, Clive Mullings, regarding the country’s energy policy, was long awaited. In the minister’s own words, finding a viable solution to Jamaica ‘s energy problem has been more than three years in the making. Despite the long planning period, it appears that there is nothing new on the table.
Basically, Minister Mullings outlined three possible solutions to the country’s energy crisis: coal and petroleum coke; ethanol; and a mix of wind and solar power. If these are the three most viable solutions that the brilliant minds of our government can put together, then Jamaica as a nation is in greater trouble than can be imagined. Let us first examine the use of coal as the main source of energy. Yes, presently coal is readily available and cheaper than other fossil fuels, but there are too many inherent problems with burning coal.
1. The release of carbon dioxide and methane, both of which are greenhouse gases, which cause climate change and global warming. Coal is the largest contributor to the increase of carbon dioxide in the air.
2. Coal waste contains heavy metals, like uranium and thorium, which are dangerous to the health of the country.
3. It causes acid rain, which seeps into the groundwater and water table levels.
4. Dust nuisance and the impact on the rivers and consequential impact on health, and rendering land unfit for other uses.
5. Coal-fired power plants without effective fly ash capture are one of the largest sources of human-caused radiation exposure.
6. The efficiency of coal power is about 30 per cent plus an additional loss of five per cent for transmission of this power.
The minister claims that the aluminum smelting plant will employ the latest technology to ensure that the country will suffer no ill effects from this procedure.
Minister Mullings needs to wake up. The Chinese who are presently the heaviest users of this technology, have not been able to clean up their own country, as millions of their citizens suffer chronic ailments as a direct result of the many coal-burning plants.
What will be the effect on Jamaica ‘s delicate flora and fauna from the carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide emissions, not to mention the additional burden on our already overburdened healthcare system when our citizens become affected?
Additionally, Minister Mullings highlighted the 100 MW petroleum coke generating plant currently being pursued at Hunt’s Bay as a major part of the government’s energy diversification strategy. Petroleum coke, a byproduct of the petroleum-refining process, is an attractive primary or supplemental fuel for power production primarily because of a progressive and predictable increase in the production volumes of petroleum. Petroleum coke cannot sustain independent combustion and must be co-burned with a secondary fuel (coal, gas, oil).
Although petroleum coke is a desirable fuel for producing relatively inexpensive electrical power, concerns about the effects of petroleum coke blending on combustion and pollution control processes exist in the industry. The effects of petroleum coke blending on ‘grindability’, combustion reactivity, fouling, ‘slagging’, fly ash emissions control and associated waste byproducts will have to be addressed in order for this to be economically viable and environmentally prudent.
Also, Minister, have you and the other brilliant thinkers given one iota of thought as to what effect burning coal and petroleum coke will have on our tourism industry, an industry that Jamaicans such as Butch Stewart and John Issa have painstakingly built to its current prominence on the world stage? If the plan is to derive an alternative energy source for the country from burning coal and petroleum coke, then the adverse effects of such a venture must be seriously considered, as it will have a devastating effect on our tourism industry and may well destroy our country’s leading source of foreign revenue.
Minister Mullings also mentioned ethanol as an alternative fuel source and the agreement with Brazil regarding the use of available sugarcane land to produce, in the minister’s words, more “green gold”. Although ethanol is a viable and eco-friendly energy source, it would only be limited to serving the needs of the transportation sector. What might be a better idea, Minister Mullings, is to use this land as the possible sites to install the dual fuel (gas/oil) turbines or wind turbines to generate electrical power.
Minister Mullings was effusive in his praise for the Venezuelan government regarding the Petro Caribe agreement, whereby Jamaica only has to make a 50 per cent upfront payment for oil delivered from Venezuela. How long can we continue to live on handouts? Is the minister aware that natural gas burns cleaner than all fossil fuels? LNG releases 45 per cent less carbon dioxide than coal and 30 per cent less than oil.
Natural gas can be used to produce hydrogen, which has various applications: it is primary feedstock for chemical industry, a hydrogenating agent, which is an important commodity for oil refineries, and a fuel source in hydrogen vehicles, which will shortly be in production. Compressed natural gas (methane) is a cleaner alternative to other automobile fuels, such as gasoline (petrol) and diesel. Argentina, Brazil and Pakistan are already using natural gas to power their vehicles. Natural gas is supplied to homes and is used for cooking, heating etc.
Looking at LNG to power jet engines in aircraft, which would operate at 60 per cent less than current conventional fuel costs. Jamaica is now drilling
Natural gas is a major feedstock for the production of ammonia, for use in fertiliser production. Russian aircraft manufacturer, Tupolev, is already for oil on the Pedro Banks and the possibility of finding LNG may be greater than finding oil.
Can the minister explain what has become of Venezuela’s plan to supply Liquefied Natural Gas to Jamaica? Maybe the caption to Minister Mullings’ speech in the Observer, “LNG OUT”, says it all. The more things change the more they remain the same.
Bobby Marsh is a member of the National Democratic Movement (NDM). concernjaman@gmail.com
The Jamaica Herald
Sunday 7/27/08
by: Bobby Marsh
The recent presentation to Parliament by the Energy Minister, Clive Mullings, regarding the country’s energy policy, was long awaited. In the minister’s own words, finding a viable solution to Jamaica ‘s energy problem has been more than three years in the making. Despite the long planning period, it appears that there is nothing new on the table.
Basically, Minister Mullings outlined three possible solutions to the country’s energy crisis: coal and petroleum coke; ethanol; and a mix of wind and solar power. If these are the three most viable solutions that the brilliant minds of our government can put together, then Jamaica as a nation is in greater trouble than can be imagined. Let us first examine the use of coal as the main source of energy. Yes, presently coal is readily available and cheaper than other fossil fuels, but there are too many inherent problems with burning coal.
1. The release of carbon dioxide and methane, both of which are greenhouse gases, which cause climate change and global warming. Coal is the largest contributor to the increase of carbon dioxide in the air.
2. Coal waste contains heavy metals, like uranium and thorium, which are dangerous to the health of the country.
3. It causes acid rain, which seeps into the groundwater and water table levels.
4. Dust nuisance and the impact on the rivers and consequential impact on health, and rendering land unfit for other uses.
5. Coal-fired power plants without effective fly ash capture are one of the largest sources of human-caused radiation exposure.
6. The efficiency of coal power is about 30 per cent plus an additional loss of five per cent for transmission of this power.
The minister claims that the aluminum smelting plant will employ the latest technology to ensure that the country will suffer no ill effects from this procedure.
Minister Mullings needs to wake up. The Chinese who are presently the heaviest users of this technology, have not been able to clean up their own country, as millions of their citizens suffer chronic ailments as a direct result of the many coal-burning plants.
What will be the effect on Jamaica ‘s delicate flora and fauna from the carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide emissions, not to mention the additional burden on our already overburdened healthcare system when our citizens become affected?
Additionally, Minister Mullings highlighted the 100 MW petroleum coke generating plant currently being pursued at Hunt’s Bay as a major part of the government’s energy diversification strategy. Petroleum coke, a byproduct of the petroleum-refining process, is an attractive primary or supplemental fuel for power production primarily because of a progressive and predictable increase in the production volumes of petroleum. Petroleum coke cannot sustain independent combustion and must be co-burned with a secondary fuel (coal, gas, oil).
Although petroleum coke is a desirable fuel for producing relatively inexpensive electrical power, concerns about the effects of petroleum coke blending on combustion and pollution control processes exist in the industry. The effects of petroleum coke blending on ‘grindability’, combustion reactivity, fouling, ‘slagging’, fly ash emissions control and associated waste byproducts will have to be addressed in order for this to be economically viable and environmentally prudent.
Also, Minister, have you and the other brilliant thinkers given one iota of thought as to what effect burning coal and petroleum coke will have on our tourism industry, an industry that Jamaicans such as Butch Stewart and John Issa have painstakingly built to its current prominence on the world stage? If the plan is to derive an alternative energy source for the country from burning coal and petroleum coke, then the adverse effects of such a venture must be seriously considered, as it will have a devastating effect on our tourism industry and may well destroy our country’s leading source of foreign revenue.
Minister Mullings also mentioned ethanol as an alternative fuel source and the agreement with Brazil regarding the use of available sugarcane land to produce, in the minister’s words, more “green gold”. Although ethanol is a viable and eco-friendly energy source, it would only be limited to serving the needs of the transportation sector. What might be a better idea, Minister Mullings, is to use this land as the possible sites to install the dual fuel (gas/oil) turbines or wind turbines to generate electrical power.
Minister Mullings was effusive in his praise for the Venezuelan government regarding the Petro Caribe agreement, whereby Jamaica only has to make a 50 per cent upfront payment for oil delivered from Venezuela. How long can we continue to live on handouts? Is the minister aware that natural gas burns cleaner than all fossil fuels? LNG releases 45 per cent less carbon dioxide than coal and 30 per cent less than oil.
Natural gas can be used to produce hydrogen, which has various applications: it is primary feedstock for chemical industry, a hydrogenating agent, which is an important commodity for oil refineries, and a fuel source in hydrogen vehicles, which will shortly be in production. Compressed natural gas (methane) is a cleaner alternative to other automobile fuels, such as gasoline (petrol) and diesel. Argentina, Brazil and Pakistan are already using natural gas to power their vehicles. Natural gas is supplied to homes and is used for cooking, heating etc.
Looking at LNG to power jet engines in aircraft, which would operate at 60 per cent less than current conventional fuel costs. Jamaica is now drilling
Natural gas is a major feedstock for the production of ammonia, for use in fertiliser production. Russian aircraft manufacturer, Tupolev, is already for oil on the Pedro Banks and the possibility of finding LNG may be greater than finding oil.
Can the minister explain what has become of Venezuela’s plan to supply Liquefied Natural Gas to Jamaica? Maybe the caption to Minister Mullings’ speech in the Observer, “LNG OUT”, says it all. The more things change the more they remain the same.
Bobby Marsh is a member of the National Democratic Movement (NDM). concernjaman@gmail.com
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