#Jamaica, May 11, 2022 – The Government is to spend US$30 million over the next two years under the Energy Management and Efficiency Programme (EMEP).

Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Hon. Daryl Vaz, made the disclosure during his contribution to the 2022/23 Sectoral Debate in the House of Representatives on May 10.  The programme is a collaborative effort among the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the European Union-Caribbean Investment Facility and the Government of Jamaica.

Mr. Vaz said the components of the programme aim to reduce electricity consumption within health, educational, and other public-sector facilities; reduce travel times and avoid fuel consumption through improved traffic control management; and support the development of Jamaica’s 20-year electricity plan.  He informed that the programme includes the retrofitting of government facilities, inclusive of health, educational, and public agency facilities.

“This component includes the retrofitting of 80 government facilities with renewable energy and energy-efficient interventions. These interventions include solar photovoltaic technology, LED lighting upgrade and energy-efficient air-conditioning technology,” Mr. Vaz said.

He added that the structural and electrical integrity assessments of 12 hospitals, 10 schools and other public office buildings have been completed to support this effort.

Meanwhile, Mr. Vaz said a contract was awarded for the implementation of the Urban Traffic Management System (UTMS) in March 2021 and that the project is now 86 per cent complete. Full completion is expected for May 27, 2022.

“This UTMS project is being implemented in the Kingston Metropolitan Area (KMA). The UTMS seeks to modernise and automate the traffic management system, and to reduce travel time and fuel consumption by 30 per cent. The project involves the installation of additional CCTV cameras, licence plate video detector cameras, and over-head variable messaging signs,” he noted.

He added that these will inform and warn motorists in near real-time and modernise the traffic interconnection network with fibre-optic cables and upgraded information technology hardware and software.

Contact: Latonya Linton

Release: JIS