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PCJ signs $23M contract for energy audits at public hospitals

Published:Tuesday | December 4, 2018 | 12:45 PM
Regional Director, South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA), Maureen Golding (centre) and Camile Panton, Chief Executive Officer, Bustamante Hospital for Children (second left) greet representatives from Wood Canada Limited Nathan Sokolowski, (far left) Energy Engineer and Rusty Friend, (second left) Senior Energy Engineer, who toured the hospital on December 3, 2018 along with Derian Jackson, Project Manager for the Energy Management and Efficiency Programme - Contributed photo.

The Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) has signed a $23 million contract for the execution of Investment Grade Audits at seven public hospitals that have been selected for major energy interventions under the Energy Management and Efficiency Programme (EMEP).

The audits will be carried out by international consultants Wood Canada Limited at the University Hospital of the West Indies and the Bustamante Children’s Hospital in St Andrew, the Spanish Town Hospital in St Catherine, the Port Antonio Hospital in Portland, the St Ann’s Bay Hospital in St Ann and the Annotto Bay and Port Maria hospitals in St Mary. 

These assessments will influence the design, supply and installation of energy efficiency and renewable energy solutions at the medical institutions.

The PCJ says upon completion of the audits, the hospitals will receive energy efficient lighting and air conditioning (AC) systems, building envelope upgrades and power factor correction which should reduce electricity consumption.

In addition, the medical facilities will benefit from the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems for electricity generation.

Officially launched in May 2018, EMEP was established to carrying out energy efficiency interventions at 80 government facilities across the island which are expected to reduce the Government's energy spend. 

The main objectives of the initiative are to reduce electricity and fuel consumption by improving energy efficiency in the public sector through retrofits at government facilities, to improve urban traffic management in order to shorten travel times and to strengthen the technical capabilities of the Energy Ministry to enhance energy planning.

The US$40 million programme is being funded by the Inter-American Development Bank, the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the European Union Caribbean Investment Facility, with the PCJ serving as the implementing agency. 

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