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FortisTCI Commissions Rooftop Solar PV System with the Ritz-Carlton Turks and Caicos

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Providenciales, Turks and Caicos Islands (Thursday, March 4, 2020) – FortisTCI alongside The Ritz-Carlton Turks and Caicos and renewable energy service provider Green Revolution, commissioned a 210.6 kW solar PV system installed above the luxury resort’s casino and restaurant. The project represents the tenth Utility Owned Renewable Energy (UORE) partnership, and an investment of approximately $500,000.00. Completed over the past seven months, the grid-tied rooftop installation is expected to generate approximately 310MWh annually, helping avoid roughly 244 tons of CO2 emissions.

FortisTCI is committed to integrating more renewable energy to its electricity grid. The shift to renewables is supported by the goals established and agreed to by FortisTCI and the Turks and Caicos Islands Government as outlined in the country’s Resilient National Energy Transition Strategy (R-NETS). The R-NETS aims to integrate at least 33% renewable energy by 2040, a target that will be reviewed and updated regularly based on market conditions and new technology.

Green Revolution founder Paul Chaplin said, “The Green Revolution team is very excited to be part of the completion of the first major solar PV installation on a Grace Bay Beach resort, under the FortisTCI UORE Program. We are glad to work with our partners FortisTCI and Desarrollos HotelCo. We look forward to what’s ahead and seeing more installations like this in the future.” Roberto Stipa, Developer and Managing Director of Hotelco Turks and Caicos added his thoughts saying, “This project forms part of our commitment to significantly reducing the carbon footprint and traditional energy consumption at the hotel; this has been a key focus of Hotelco from the initial design phase to the ground up construction and build of the hotel.”  

General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Turks and Caicos, John Hazard, said, “The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company is proud to be part of any project that fosters and encourages renewable energy sources. We intend to expand our efforts locally through initiatives such as greater recycling, and other opportunities in partnership with FortisTCI for energy-efficient solutions at the hotel.”      

FortisTCI President and CEO Ruth Forbes said, “This solar installation at the Ritz-Carlton is a testament to the changes happening in the energy sector and a showcase of how good partnerships can be the catalyst for change. Despite the challenges of 2020 and their ongoing impact, FortisTCI’s commitment to sustainability programs has not waivered. Green energy remains a key priority for our business, and we will continue to work toward meeting objectives outlined in the R-NETS, including increasing the uptake of solar energy throughout the TCI.” Mrs. Forbes continued, “Renewable energy programs like UORE are a great way to work together with customers to manage our impact on the environment, which is crucial to preserving our tourism industry. We all have a part to play. FortisTCI cannot transform energy in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

without all stakeholders on board – customers, employees, business partners, investors, regulators, and the government. I welcome the Ritz-Carlton as one of our newest partners.”

FortisTCI will commission three additional UORE projects in March and April 2021. Collectively, these projects will add the equivalent of a 400 kW PV system to the Providenciales electricity system housed atop of Graceway Sports Center, H2O Resort, and Engineering Design Services Ltd. Together, and once installed, these grid-tied installations will generate approximately 605.2MWh annually and reduce even further TCI’s CO2 emissions.

All customers participating in the UORE program receive a monthly fixed credit for the use of their rooftop space and an annual variable incentive based on yearly system performance or energy production.

Press Release: FortisTCI

Photo Captions:

Header:FortisTCI President and CEO Ruth Forbes (center, left), Ritz-Carlton Developer Roberto Stipa (center) and Green Revolution installer Joe Ryan (center, right), and their representatives commission a 210.6kW solar PV system on the roof of the luxury resort’s casino and restaurant.

Insert: The Ritz-Carlton Turks and Caicos is FortisTCI’s 10th Utility Owned Renewable Energy (UORE) partner. A 210.6kW solar PV system was commissioned on the roof of the resort’s casino and restaurant on Friday, February 26.

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New Tilapia Hatchery Slated for Completion Later This Year

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#Kingston, Jamaica, March 27, 2024 – The new tilapia hatchery under construction in Twickenham Park, St. Catherine, is slated for completion towards the end of 2024.

The 12,000 sq. ft. facility, being built at a cost of approximately $574 million, is intended to address the major issue of shortages in good-quality seed stock for fish farmers islandwide.

Manager for the Promoting Community-based Climate Resilience in the Fisheries Sector Project, Selena Ledgister, says the hatchery’s establishment is critical for securing a sustainable fisheries sector.

“Construction is on in earnest and we are looking before the year is out – which would be by around September or October – to complete the building part of it. The Project will be supporting the purchase and installation of the recirculating aquaculture system. This system will provide over five million advanced fries (young fish) per year, using the recirculating aquaculture system,” she told JIS News.

The bio-secure climate-resilient modular hatchery, being developed in partnership with the Jamaica Social Investment Fund (JSIF), will feature a solar standby generator, plumbing system, rehabilitated guard host and administrative building.

Mrs. Ledgister said the hatchery, to be built and operated under environmentally friendly conditions, will impact the lives of fish farmers islandwide.

“I believe we have over 120 aquaculture farmers, and that number is growing; so, this will benefit the industry significantly. The hatchery is also expected to cushion the demand for fish. Fish farmers will also get the supply of advanced fries to restock their ponds. This is a significant impact that the Climate Resilience Project, as well as JSIF, will be creating for the Jamaican fish farmers,” she said.

 

Contact: Twila Wheelan

Release: JIS

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Trust Fund for Poor Children Born On or After August 6, 2022

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#Kingston, Jamaica, March 27, 2024 – Children born on or after the 60th anniversary of Jamaica’s Independence, who are wards of the State or beneficiaries of the Programme of Advancement Through Health and Education (PATH), will be eligible for the Jamaica 60 HOPE (Hope, Opportunity, Prosperity and Empowerment) For Children Trust Fund.

Jamaica celebrated its Diamond Jubilee on August 6, 2022.

In his contribution to the 2024/25 Budget Debate in the House of Representatives on March 21, Prime Minister, the Most. Hon. Andrew Holness, said the purpose of the Fund is to help to close the wealth gap and address the issue of intergenerational poverty by creating a trust account specifically catered to vulnerable children.

“The HOPE for Children Trust Fund will provide each eligible child with a long-term savings account funded through annual contributions from the Government. Parents, guardians or other donors will also be able to make deposits into the account for the future benefit of any specific child,” Mr. Holness said.

The accumulated funds, including interest, will be accessible on or after the child’s 18th birthday, for specific purposes such as education, purchase of a home or commercial property or investment in a business.

“The central idea behind the programme is to provide children with a lump sum to start them in life upon attaining adulthood. Our initial target is a lump sum of between $600,000 and $800,000, to be available on the 18th birthday of any eligible child,” Mr. Holness said.

He noted that the Government will also explore alternatives to establish and manage the Fund, adding that it could form part of the National Insurance Fund or be administered by private insurance companies.

“This is, I believe, a ground-breaking initiative to truly grapple with inequality in the society. From a historical perspective, there are many households who have no endowment in Jamaica, meaning that they can’t look towards anything bequeathed to them from their family. There is no asset being passed down to them from generation. The only way that they are able to create any wealth is through their labour, through the dint of their effort – literally pulling themselves up by their bootstraps,” Mr. Holness said.

The Prime Minister emphasised that as the economy grows, the Government has a responsibility to take instrumental and decisive steps to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty and correct structural inequalities.

“The intention here is great, the amount may be considered small, but it is the first step in the right direction to truly create a more equitable society,” Mr. Holness said.

 

Contact: Judana Murphy

Release: JIS

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Port Royal Museum to Open in May

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#Kingston, Jamaica, March 26, 2024 – The long-awaited Port Royal Museum is expected to be opened in May of this year, with the first exhibit set to be unveiled at the event.

Construction of the two-storey facility, which will be the first fit-for-purpose museum erected in Jamaica, was done at a cost of $788 million with funding from the Port Authority of Jamaica (PAJ).

Major work on the building was completed in December 2023, with finishing touches and furnishings left to be done.

Director of the National Museum Jamaica (NMJ), Dr. Jonathan Greenland, told JIS News in an interview that the new museum will replace the older and much smaller facility at Fort Charles.

“It didn’t touch all the subject areas… so we lobbied for the Port Authority to collaborate with us and develop a museum in Port Royal, and so they’ve actually constructed a huge building with restaurant facilities, lots of parking, multifunctional space and meeting rooms, shops and everything that a modern museum should have,” he said.

The museum will also be fully accessible to members of the disabled community with wheelchair ramps and an elevator.

Dr. Greenland added that the location of the museum is also of notable significance to the history of the sunken city.

“Right on the spot where the museum is going to be, there was a rebellion of the enslaved workers from the dockyard. The leader of the rebellion or uprising was a skilled bricklayer and when you look at the walls around the whole area where the dockyard used to be, he was probably involved in building that,” he said.

He further pointed out that the museum will present a new opportunity for the NMJ to attract even more visitors and facilitate cultural tourism.

“We’re very excited…. and you know Port Royal is a very interesting place and the history is fascinating. We always had loads of visitors from all around the world without doing any marketing whatsoever, and this is going to be a whole different level of merchandising, marketing and tourism. This is fascinating history and it’s going to be quite dramatic,” Dr. Greenland told JIS News.

 

Contact : Jermi-Lee Nelson

Release : JIS

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