Coal can supply north coast with power, says Hanna

Carl Gilchrist, Gleaner Writer

Member of Parliament (MP) for South East St Ann, Lisa Hanna, is suggesting that, using the clean coal technology to safeguard the environment, a coal power plant located in St Ann could generate enough power to satisfy demands on Jamaica's north coast.

"Right now Jamaica is producing energy at US$0.30 per kilowatt hour whereas countries which are competitive are producing at five cents," Hanna told The Gleaner. "And you are not going to have persons running to do business in Jamaica if the energy costs are eating up their profit, which is also what is happening."

The St Ann MP said she wanted efforts to be made to export limestone and bring in coal.

"If you look at a constituency like South East St Ann or South West St Ann, if you put a clean coal power plant up there you can power the entire north coast with it," she argued. "That is something that I would like to realise."

Hanna argued that the Government's pursuit of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as a solution to Jamaica's energy problems would be an expensive venture when compared to using coal.

Energy and Mining Minister James Robertson has stated that Government's LNG project was expected to save Jamaica US$1.2 billion in energy cost.

Expensive venture

However, according to Hanna, the cost would still be high as Jamaica would have to import the LNG.

"That is going to be an expensive venture and clean coal technology is technology that is being used in different places of the world quite successfully," Hanna said. "And there are places that have the coal and need limestone and the ships could export (limestone) and import the coal at the same time."

In the United States, the cost of a megawatt of electricity produced by coal runs between $20 and $30, while a megawatt of energy produced from natural gas ranges between $45 and $60.

Hanna's comments reflect a concern expressed by Jamaicans who over the years have been calling for alternate sources of energy in order to reduce Jamaica's dependency on oil. Solar, wind and hydropower sources have been suggested as viable alternatives.

Loan programme

The National Housing Trust (NHT) has taken a step in this direction by introducing a loan programme to assist home owners install solar powered water heaters in their homes.

Research shows that approximately 40 per cent of the world's energy was derived from oil, while 23 per cent was derived from coal.

Experts estimate that, by 2025, 80 per cent of the world's oil reserves would have been used. Coal reserves, on the contrary, are capable of lasting 1,000 years.

One drawback of the use of coal however, is that its negative impact on the environment is greater than oil and natural gas.