Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon. Karl Samuda (seated, left), shakes hand with President and CEO, BMR Energy LLC, Bruce Levy, after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for the development of Renewable Energy Infrastructure by the Sugar Company of Jamaica (SCJ) and BMR Energy LLC, at the Ministry’s New Kingston offices, on Tuesday, November 7, 2017. Under the MOU solar energy will be provided to the Monymusk Sugar Factory to power its irrigation system. Seated at right is Chairman, Board of Directors, SCJ Holdings Limited, Wentworth Charles and standing (l-r) are Chief Executive Officer, SCJ Holdings Limited, John Gayle and Regional Director, BMR Energy LLC, Ava Tomlin.
The Monymusk sugar factory in Clarendon is set to become the first sugar factory in Jamaica to have its irrigation system powered by solar energy.
This was announced today, November 7, 2017, by Minister of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries, Hon Karl Samuda, at the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between SCJ Holdings Ltd and BMR Energy LLC at the St Lucia Avenue offices of his Ministry.
Minister Samuda stressed the need for the consistent supply of irrigation to the fertile lands at Monymusk and said that the solar system was expected to supply some 50 per cent of the energy required to power the irrigation system.
Under the MOU, BMR will also explore other options from biomass, renewable and other fuel sources to supply the electrical energy needed by the sugar refinery.
Welcoming the partnership with BMR Energy, the agriculture minister said the solar initiative was important to the sugar industry and to the country at large. It would not only serve to reduce the cost of energy, he said, but also to increase production and to attract more investors to a more efficient system.
For his part, President and CEO of BMR, Bruce Levy, said his company, now fully owned by Richard Branson’s Virgin Group, had been operating in Jamaica for the past five years and had built and operates the wind farm in St Elizabeth, which now supplies some three per cent of the island’s energy.
The goal of his company, he said, was to provide low-cost energy and he looked forward to assisting the Sugar Company of Jamaica Holdings to reduce its energy costs and enjoy the benefits of renewable energy.
SCJ Holdings Ltd is an agency of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Agriculture and Fisheries.
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