You are here
Home | New solar system at Plumwood Pumping Station to cut NIC energy cost by 4.6 million annually
Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon Floyd Green (left), unveils a plaque containing information about the Plumwood Pumping Station Photovoltaic (PV) System at the Official Handing-Over Ceremony at the Plumwood Pumping Station in New Forest, Manchester on Thursday, June 15, 2023. Looking on from left are Minister of State at the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon Franklin Witter, and Managing Director at the Jamaica Social Investment Fund, Omar Sweeney.
The National Irrigation Commission (NIC), in collaboration with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), handed over the Plumwood Pumping Station Photovoltaic (PV) System which is estimated to cut NIC’s energy cost by 4.6 million annually.
Agriculture minister, Hon Floyd Green, said that the 79.2-kilowatt grid-tied system, which is a project under the Rural Economic Development Initiative, will supply 30% of the pump station's energy needs. He was peaking at the official Handing-Over Ceremony held last Thursday (June 15) in New Forest, Manchester.
Citing climate change as a potential cause of the recent heavy rains which resulted in farmers suffering millions in losses, Minister Green said the new system is tangible evidence of the Ministry’s role in assisting in the fight against climate change.
“We have seen that climate change is real. Nobody would have to convince us that the weather patterns have changed. Not only are we seeing longer droughts, but we are seeing shorter more intense periods of rain,” said Green.
“We have to play our part in reducing our carbon emissions and this project is going to help us by reducing our carbon emissions by 64.5 metric tonnes of co2 annually and that is something to celebrate,” he added.
The agriculture minister said that though the project will be helping to cut cost, the NIC should focus on repurposing the 4.6 million to improve upon the services being provided.
“It is not just reducing cost for reducing cost sake. We have to put this 4.6 million dollars into other areas of expanding our ability to supply water to our farmers,” Green highlighted.
Minister of State, the Hon Franklin Witter, who was also in attendance, said that the new system will aid in making farmers more competitive.
“One of the challenges that we face in Jamaica in terms of our farmers is really the cost of input so these initiatives will go a far way in cutting cost so that farmers can be competitive which will lead to us being able to cut our imports,” Witter outlined.
-30-
