THE Government and the local private sector are being asked to take a second look at the tremendous benefits that could be derived from the resurrection of a regional scientific project which got underway in the early 1980s as a response to the energy crisis of the late 1970s.

The project, which involved scientists and energy experts from several countries, including Jamaica, Barbados, Haiti, Trinidad and Tobago, and St Lucia, focused on the production of energy as well as animal feeds from the Leucaena plant, referred to in some parts of the world as the ‘miracle tree’ and in Jamaica as the wild tamarind.

The initiative was the brainchild of a group of local scientists who sought and received support from their colleagues in other Caribbean countries as well as from regional governments and several international donor organisations.

Engineering consultant and scientist Dr Dennis Minott, who was a guest at the Jamaica Observer weekly Monday Exchange this week, explained that other members of the team that formed the company Enerplan Limited included Drs Cynthia Lewis, Alwyn Hayles and Brian Silvera.

He pointed out that the project was developed at a time when the world was reeling from increased oil prices and, in some cases, a shortage of petroleum products, stemming from the global oil crisis.

At that time the group was among several entities across the world that had begun to explore alternatives to petroleum-based energy.

Minott explained that the Leucaena plant, which is available in abundance across Jamaica, has been dubbed the miracle plant because of its many uses.

Checks by the Observer supported Minott’s claim of the plant being known globally as a highly nutritious forage tree that can also provide firewood, timber, human food, green manure, shade, and animal feed.

Minott also added that the plant can be harvested and fermented to form a gas that can be used as a power source.

He added that the tree could be grown on a large scale by corporate entities which could then produce power that could be transferred to the Jamaica Public Service grid via a power wheeling agreement.

That arrangement, he said, would result in significant savings for the corporate entity, which would see a reduction in its electricity bills.

He added that the country would also benefit, as there would be an overall reduction in its oil bill.

“In 1983, we had actually agreed on a Caribbean Energy Action Plan. We took that plan to what was then called the Caribbean Group for Co-operation in Economic Development, [which] used to be co-ordinated by the World Bank,” explained Ambassador Byron Blake, former assistant secretary general of Caricom, who was also at the Exchange.

“When we took the plan there they said ‘beautiful plan’, but they had no resources to support it because energy was no longer a priority; which really means it was no longer a priority for the United States,” Blake added.

“All our countries, despite our appeal to them, bought into that international statement of the problem and we began to resile and, of course, once that happens it becomes more difficult for you to resume,” said Blake as he lamented the decision by various Caribbean governments to move away from the project as a result of their belief that the price of oil would have remained low.

Both men are now convinced that the Jamaican Government, as well as private sector interests, should take another look at the Leucaena project as the country is in desperate need of sustainable alternatives to imported fuel.

They are also of the view that Leucaena is an ideal option, given the fact that it can be used in the production of feed for poultry, cattle and other animals.

Blake, who is now a board member of Jampro and chairman of the agency’s New Ideas Committee, said he has put the project back on the table as he is convinced that Jamaica will begin to face starvation if it doesn’t move to identify alternatives to high-priced oil and imported animal feeds.

“I have got the New Ideas Committee at Jampro to buy into it as a project and the chairman of Jampro is on board. We can now talk to potential investors,” he added as he made the case for the private sector to buy into the project.

” It is not really a Government project because this is an investment. Quite frankly, the private sector could move on it because the private sector is our big user of energy. If the Government does produce it (energy from the Leucaena plant) it will have to go and search for the market. What the Government needs to do is to formulate policy to support it and where land is required, it should be willing to make land available to persons who may want to go into the growing,” Blake added.

For Minott, there is no question regarding the use of the Leucaena plant as an alternative to imported animal proteins. According to him, the pilot project of the 1980s saw members of his team managing a feed production operation that sold its produce to Caribbean Broilers, which used the material to feed its chickens, which were then sold to the market.

“Jamaica Broilers knows what can be done, Caribbean Broilers knows what can be done. In fact, I had the privilege of sitting in on a meeting where both managing directors came to our offices to see how we could move this project forward. Things can be done, and there was a commitment on the part of several people to do things,” said Minott, who explained that he went to The Philippines with the idea which was readily embraced by then first lady Imelda Marcos.

Both Minott and Blake are convinced that the Leucaena plant could be mixed with other starches, including corn or grass, to produce all the animal feed needed in Jamaica; at a far lower price than that which is produced from imported corn and soya.

Minott explained that the Jamaican leg of the project received strong support from former prime ministers Edward Seaga and Michael Manley who had given a written commitment of additional support.

However, he argued that support from the Government, particularly through the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica, began to wane after Manley became ill and at a point when many technocrats bought into the view that oil prices would have remained low forever.

The scientist said he is encouraged by the arguments of Energy Minister Phillip Paulwell, who, according to him, has been saying the right things regarding alternative energy.

Minott said he intends to meet with Paulwell as he tries to get Jamaicans to realise the tremendous benefits of the wild tamarind.