Local nuclear power operator supports the move
Jamaica is considering incorporating nuclear power in the country’s energy mix, as part of the island’s thrust to make eco-friendly options available to all Jamaicans.
Daryl Vaz, minister of science, energy and technology, who made the disclosure, said the move would be used as a medium to long-term option.
According to the minister, “it is something that we believe that any country, like Jamaica, would have to think of for energy security, especially because it is [renewable]”.
Speaking during a Heads of Science Round Table Discussion at the Ministry’s office on Trafalgar Road in Kingston earlier this week, Vaz pointed out that his ministry, and by extension the Government, “recognise the importance of science to nation building”, adding that “it must become a way of life in Jamaica”.
Professor Charles Grant, director general of the International Centre for Environmental and Nuclear Sciences (ICENS), is welcoming the announcement, noting that newer and smaller nuclear reactors are safe for generating electricity.
ICENS uses the Jamaican Safe Low Power Critical Experiment (SLOWPOKE-2) nuclear reactor to aid in research and national development initiatives. SLOWPOKE is a family of low-energy, tank-in-pool type nuclear research reactors, designed by Atomic Energy of Canada Limited.
The local facility, which is the only one of its kind commissioned for use outside Canada, has given credence to the possibility of nuclear energy utilisation for power generation in Jamaica.
Grant said: “I am looking towards a bright future… having nuclear power here. Jamaica is a regional leader for nuclear technology and having a nuclear reactor here for the past 40 years, that we have run safely and securely, is the foundation for this big step.”
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