Nain power station
{{#badges:CoalSwarm|Navbar-LatinAmericacoal}} Nain power station was a proposed 1,000-megawatt (MW) coal-fired power plant in St. Elizabeth Parish, Jamaica.
In November 2017, after strong public opposition, it was announced the plant would be 230 MW and fueled by natural gas.[1]
Contents
Location
The map below shows the Alpart bauxite plant in Nain, St. Elizabeth Parish. The coal plant would presumably be built near the bauxite plant.
Background
In July 2016 it was reported that China-based Jiuquan Iron & Steel (Group) Company Limited (JISCO) was in the process of acquiring the Alpart bauxite facility in Nain from the Russian firm UC Rusal. According to Jamaica Mining Minister Mike Henry, JISCO would be investing US$2 billion to establish an industrial zone at Nain, comprising bauxite mines, an alumina refinery, and a coal-fired power plant. The proposal is opposed by the Jamaica Environmental Trust (JET), who said plans are for a 1,000 MW coal plant.[2]
At a September 2016 signing ceremony, officials of JISCO and the Jamaican government announced that JISCO's investment would grow from US$2 billion to US$3 billion. Jamaica's Mining Minister Mike Henry sought to downplay concerns about the environmental impact of the new development, noting that decisions about whether to fuel the planned power plant with coal were at least 18 months off.[3]
In November 2017 JISCO said they will be using LNG as the source of energy to drive the development of a 230-megawatt power plant, the new two million tonne alumina refinery, and the expansion of Port Kaiser. The switch came after a sustained public opposition campaign (details below).[1]
Opposition
The proposed plant quickly generated critical response in the Jamaican press[4][5], and Prime Minister Andrew Holness acknowledged public concerns about the project in an August 2016 press release.[6][7]
As of February 2017, the Jamaica Environmental Trust had collected 21,000 signatures (or close to 1% of Jamaica's population) on a petition opposing the project. JET argues that building the plant would make it impossible for Jamaica to meet its commitments under the Paris Agreement.[8][9][10]
Project Details
- Sponsor: Jiuquan Iron & Steel (Group) Company Limited (JISCO)
- Parent company: JISCO
- Location: Nain, St. Elizabeth, Jamaica
- Coordinates: 17.9674, -77.6076 (approximate)
- Status: Cancelled (will be a 230 MW gas plant)
- Gross Capacity: 1,000MW
- Type:
- Projected in service:
- Coal Type:
- Coal Source:
- Source of financing:
Articles and resources
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "ALPART to use LNG instead of coal," Jamaica Observer, November 02, 2017
- ↑ "'Rethink Coal Plan' - Environmentalists Decry Nain Plant Proposal, Gov't Official Also Wary," The Gleaner, August 4, 2016
- ↑ "JISCO upsizes Alpart redevelopment to US$3b," The Gleaner, September 23, 2016
- ↑ "Editorial: Jamaica must say no to coal-powered plant!," Jamaica Observer, August 11, 2016
- ↑ "Editorial: No coal-fired power plant on Jamrock!," Jamaica Observer, September 4, 2016
- ↑ "Gov't moving to address concerns about coal-fired plant at Alpart," RJR News, August 11, 2016
- ↑ Coal Plant Will Increase Jamaica’s CO2 Emission By 79-82 Per Cent - US Coal Expert, The Gleaner, 25 Aug. 2016.
- ↑ Environmentalists Say No to Coal-Fired Power Plant in Jamaica, In Depth News, 26 Feb. 2017.
- ↑ Coal Fact Sheet #2, Jamaica Environmental Trust, 13 Oct. 2016.
- ↑ Petitioning Government of Jamaica: Say NO to Coal JA, Change.org petition, accessed June 2017.
