BIOMASS HUB

Supported by the Governments of Brazil and the United States, the Organisation of American States (OAS) has committed to providing technical assistance for biofuel development and policy support in Jamaica.

The overall goal of the project is to develop and implement Jamaica’s biofuels policy and establish a strong legal and regulatory framework for a vibrant biofuel industry, that includes both bioethanol and biodiesel.

Energy and Biofuels Officer in the Office of International Energy and Commodities, the US State Department, Richard Simmons, said the collaborative approach to the development of biofuels and bioenergy was a critical step towards the affordable access to energy and responsible and sustainable treatment of the environment.

Francisco Burgos, OAS Specialist on Energy and Sustainable Development, added:

[T]he initiative we launched today seeks to strengthen the country’s experience in the production of biofuels, placing special emphasis on the social, economic and environmental aspects that said industry demands.

Earlier this week at the official launch of the program, at Jamaica House, in Kingston, Energy and Mining Minister, Hon. James Robertson, said the project represented an important plank in a broader vision for the country:

Our biofuels policy represents an essential element of the broader energy revolution that is to come, as we seek to implement the National Energy Policy and the goals of Vision 2030.  It will develop local expertise and knowledge of emerging technologies through scientific exchange, international industry and government internships, sabbaticals and professional seminars and conferences.  We cannot afford to fail, because to fail at a project such as this and policy implementation, would be failing our nation, our children and our future.

The Minister added that the country has taken a few necessary steps to make biofuel development a success, including the divestment of the sugar industry and sugar estates, and achieving renewable energy from sugar cane.

The OAS Representative in Jamaica, Dr. Joan Neil, said the agreement is a reflection of the reality that it is important to pool resources, to develop synergies, and to work together to support the needs of hemispheric states in the emerging energy sector.