KINGSTON, Jamaica — The Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) is reporting the completion of a $73 million air conditioning overhaul at the May Pen Hospital in Clarendon.

According to PCJ, the overhaul should reduce electricity consumption for cooling by 20 per cent and shave approximately $5.2 million off the hospital’s annual electricity spend.

The successful completion of the project was marked by a handing over ceremony, held at the hospital today.  

The project was completed under PCJ’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Programme (EECP) which finances investments in energy efficiency and energy conservation measures in the public sector. 

The company said modifications were made to the chill water air conditioning system serving the general hospital area.

Addressing the handing over, PCJ’s Acting Group General Manager, Brian Richardson, said the company anticipates that the upgrade to the existing infrastructure and the new solutions will make for a better patient experience. 

“…we know that the improvements to the air conditioning have made for a more comfortable environment for the patients and a more productive work space for the staff,” he said.

In his response on behalf of the beneficiary, Chief Executive Officer, May Pen Hospital, St Andrade Sinclair said the hospital is sincerely grateful for this monumental opportunity to improve the energy needs of the facility.

Minister of Science, Energy and Technology, Fayval Williams, who delivered the keynote address at the ceremony, indicated that several similar projects would be undertaken in the current fiscal year as the Government continues to take a leading role in energy conservation.