SOME 119 million barrels of crude oil, valued at approximately US$2 billion, ($84 billion), were used to fuel the nation's energy needs between 1995 and 1999. In 1999 alone, the country used some 23.4 million barrels of oil, at a cost if US$435 million. And, if world oil price increases continue, the same amount may cost as much as US$650 million, a 50 per cent increase, in the year 2000.
Dr. Raymond Wright, group managing director, Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ), said, "In Jamaica, the consumption trends for petroleum products are a matter of concern. Further, the growth in energy consumption is without any corresponding increase in our Gross Domestic Product."
Against this background, he called on policymakers to implement "an accelerated transition to the use of renewable energy and energy efficiency," as he said, this could yield substantial benefits in the form of reduced oil consumption, lower air pollution levels, and reduced emissions of greenhouse gases. Such a programme could be undertaken at "either modest cost, or even net economic saving," he added.
Dr. Wright, who was speaking at a recent public forum which looked at the prospects of implementing a Renewable Energy Programme in Jamaica, emphasised that the nation should address the efficient use of energy. "Much of the growth in energy demand is associated with consumerism, and an indifference to conservation. The need for a structured energy conservation programme is greater now than at any time in the past," he maintained.
Imported petroleum
According to Dr. Wright, 90 per cent of Jamaica's energy is derived from imported petroleum, and the country is one of several Caribbean countries classified as "oil deficient." Other countries such as Barbados and Cuba, while having some fossil fuel reserves, "are now net importers of energy." Dr. Wright said that the opposite was true in Trinidad and Tobago, Venezuela and Mexico, countries which have abundant resources of oil, natural gas and/or coal.
Turning to the global front, the PCJ Group managing director pointed out that the United Nations projects world population to reach 7.5 billion by the year 2025, with 90 per cent of the growth coming from developing countries. The increased demand for fuel is also resulting from the growing use of motor vehicles, and the process of industrialisation, which is taking place simultaneously in developing nations, Dr. Wright explained.
"The smog now hanging over many cities in Latin America and Asia is a complex cocktail of pollutants that include car exhaust fumes, as well as, emissions from coal burning and smoke from factories," Dr. Wright observed.
Dr. Wright suggested, for example, that integrating rural areas into the 'local grid' system through decentralised mini-hydro plants "can be an attractive option," when compared to the relatively higher costs incurred in supplying towns, that are characterised by low population density, and the low purchasing power of these residents.
