Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness on Tuesday (August 5) commended Best Dressed Chicken on the investment in the installation of a liquified natural gas (LNG) cogeneration plant, which will boost efficiency in the company’s operations.

Dr. Holness, who officially commissioned the US$8-million facility at the entity’s Spring Village location in St Catherine, said he is proud that corporate entities are taking risks and are being supported by financial institutions.

He noted that the poultry producer, which is a division of the Jamaica Broilers Group, has now secured for itself greater energy efficiency.

“It means that they are far more insulated from the volatility of international shocks in the energy market, which would be chiefly responsible for any unpredictable rise in the price of chicken,” he said.

He further pointed to the cost savings from converting LNG into energy.

“The company saves quite a bit relative to what they would pay JPS (Jamaica Public Service) or what their original costs would be using heavy fuel oils. It also gives them the opportunity to use the same energy to generate electricity and to generate steam,” Holness pointed out.

Group president and CEO Christopher Levy shared that it is an important investment, aimed at making the company more competitive and its products more affordable.

“The purpose of it is what we like to call ‘the food independence of Jamaica’ and in this world, we need to recognise how important that has become. If we cast our minds back to COVID, we import our raw materials, we import our energy… so anything we can do to increase the independence of our food is top priority nationally, and that’s how we view this investment,” he pointed out.

Levy added that the new LNG plant will offer a multi-tiered return on investment for the company, as the energy produced will also be used to generate steam.

“The chicken plant uses a lot of steam. That steam is collected from the exhaust heat of the energy and that exhaust heat goes through what is called a heat recovery boiler and produces steam. So, we don’t burn any other energy at this plant. We burn energy once and right now it’s gas and that produces all the steam that we need, hot water that we need, electricity that we need,” he explained.

In his remarks, Minister of Science and Energy Daryl Vaz said the investment by Best Dressed Chicken is a bold statement of intent and a declaration that Jamaica is serious about building a cleaner, smarter and more sustainable future.

“By investing in this cogeneration plant, powered by LNG, Jamaica Broilers is now optimising its operations, and contributing to the nation’s broader energy goals – energy efficiency, fuel diversification and environmental resilience,” he pointed out.

He said that the plant will allow for more efficient use of fuel, producing both electricity and heat, an approach that brings tangible benefits, including fewer greenhouse gas emissions, improved operations, reliability and lower energy costs.

“But most importantly, it signals what is possible when industry leaders take proactive steps towards sustainability,” Vaz said.

For his part, Agriculture Minister Floyd Green said the investment blends together two of the most important ingredients for national development – agricultural production and energy innovation.

Noting that poultry is Jamaica’s largest domestic protein source, he said the sector contributes significantly to rural employment, foreign exchange savings and national food security.

“What we’re witnessing here today is one of the finest examples of this new era of agriculture. This plant is a living demonstration of how agribusiness in Jamaica is evolving, moving from high-consumption models to low-emission energy-efficient systems that protect the environment while boosting output,” Green said.