JAMAICA has made a giant leap towards becoming the first Caribbean country to introduce nuclear power in the energy mix, ending decades of talk about the move with the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) and Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) to achieve the aim. The goal is to use the technology to generate clean electricity while fostering economic growth and improving energy security.

The MOU signed Tuesday “represents a significant advancement in Jamaica’s pursuit of innovative and clean sustainable energy solutions, focusing on nuclear research and development,” Daryl Vaz, Jamaica’s Minister of Science, Energy and Transport said in remarks at the ceremony.

“The purpose of this MOU is to explore the possibilities,” Prime Minister Andrew Holness acknowledged as he quickly pointed out that things are at an early stage in talks to bring nuclear power to Jamaica.

Jack Craig, president and CEO of Canadian Nuclear Laboratories, called it a “first step” towards a road map that now paves the way for the Government and its Canadian partners to start “fleshing out” the direction the country will go with nuclear power, including providing training for Jamaicans to work in a nuclear industry that goes beyond power generation and include areas such as applying the technology to strengthening the country’s resilience to climate change through applications in agriculture, water management, and environmental monitoring.

“I think the first step is what we are going to do this afternoon,” Craig told the Jamaica Observer in a short interview following the signing ceremony. He left shortly after to meet with officials at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, to have discussions aimed at understanding the country’s needs and capabilities surrounding nuclear energy. The UWI, Mona, has the Caribbean’s only nuclear reactor since 1984, a SLOWPOKE-2 research reactor designed by one of the current partners, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL).

“We also in Canada, through CNL, have partnerships with seven Canadian universities. So there may be an opportunity to bring students here and take students from Jamaica in internships or partnerships at CNL. I think that is the first step that we will discuss this afternoon,” Craig continued. He said such exchanges will be critical to helping the country quickly get up to speed with building out a nuclear industry in the country. The other aim is to help in technology exchange.

Holness indicated that with the work to be done under the MOU, he is hoping the country will be in a position in 10 years to make a decision on not only going nuclear, but also deciding what technology to employ and how to employ it to maximise the benefits for Jamaicans. The Canadians say they are not trying to sell the country any particular nuclear technology beyond providing technical advice that can be used to make an informed decision. The technology being eyed is the small modular reactors (SMRs) which are built in factories and shipped to the site to be assembled, cutting construction time significantly, which would go a far way in reducing the likelihood of cost overruns and not completing the facility on time. SMRs generate up to 300MWe of electricity, and Holness said though the technology is in the early stages of development, Jamaica is getting ready to embrace it as soon as it is proven, with a few being built around the world at the moment.

Beyond clean, renewable power, Vaz said the intention is to explore the use of nuclear technology in Jamaica for waste manage and the use of radioisotopes, especially in the fight against cancer.

Howard Shearer, a director of CNL and CEO of Hitachi, Canada, thinks Jamaica can go to the extent of producing radioisotopes for local use and export.

“Currently, Canada supplies about 70 per cent of the isotopes in the world, (depending on the isotope), but there are also plans within the private sector to localise part of that, that’s part of the development that I think will evolve from this MOU, and I am participating in this discussion,” Shearer shared with the Business Observer without giving further details out of respect for the stage at which the talks are currently.

But keeping a keen eye on concerns that may be raised by those fearing the worst of nuclear power in light of meltdowns at nuclear energy facilities at Fukushima in Japan in 2011, Chernobyl in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union) in 1986 and Three Mile Island in Pennsylvania in 1979, Holness gave assurances that public safety will be a top priority.

“We understand the concerns many Jamaicans may have regarding safety, and I want to assure the country that we are approaching this with caution, care, and the utmost regard for the well-being of our people and environment,” Holness said.

He is also hoping that advanced nuclear technology can be deployed in Jamaica to help the agricultural sector by deploying it to “develop crop varieties that are more resilient to droughts and extreme weather — conditions that are becoming increasingly common due to climate change. Similarly, nuclear techniques can be employed to monitor and protect Jamaica’s marine ecosystems, helping to preserve biodiversity and safeguard our vital fisheries,” the prime minister added.

Still, while things are at an early stage in developing a nuclear industry in Jamaica, there is urgency to get the country ready to make the decision when the time is right.

“We need to start acting quickly…It’s easy to sign a document, but it’s only meaningful if you start taking action,” Fred Dermarkar, president and CEO of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited told the Business Observer.

Apart from providing training for scientists and engineers in advanced nuclear technology, the country must develop regulations for the sector. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will provide support in that regard with the hope that in five years guidelines could be developed for regulating a nuclear sector in the island.

But for most Jamaicans, nuclear power is about energy and the cost.

Holness said the benefits will be “significant”, adding that nuclear power will not only help Jamaica to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels whose prices fluctuate wildly at times, but also provide price stability that will help to cauterise the cost of living.

“By diversifying our energy mix and integrating nuclear power, my Administration is actively working to lower energy costs across the board, which will directly reduce the cost of goods and services. When businesses pay less for electricity, the savings can be passed on to consumers, making everyday necessities — from food to transportation — more affordable,” he posited, making the pitch for nuclear power.

But his pitch alone will not be enough, Shearer pointed out.

“I do believe that the current Government and also the Opposition support nuclear technology,” he said, adding that both will have to play a role in providing information to the public about nuclear energy and its benefits, which include hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs in the many industries that are being envisioned to be touched by nuclear power in Jamaica.

“You will never convert everybody, but you need to convert as many as you can to take you along to the point where [a power plant] can be built, and let people see the benefit. So how do you eliminate the fear, it will be a constant campaign, but an honest one. Meeting with community leaders and trying to start the conversation, even in the schools.”

He said such work will become more critical as the country draws closer to choosing nuclear technology in a few years and especially when sites are chosen for any power plants that may be constructed.

“And once that site has been identified, then a programme has to go in place for that community around that site to educate them,” Shearer added. He said Jamaica’s seismic history will have to be taken into consideration for site selection.

But he said: “Once we identify those communities, and if I look at where the load distribution will be, the population is centred mostly in Kingston and Portmore, and then also on the west coast around Montego Bay, and, therefore, the economic development will strive around those areas right off the bat,” he said. Upgrading the grid was also identified as an issue to be tackled, but Shearer didn’t get into details about it except to point out, “If you want to have reliable, stable electricity, there has to be a programme that focuses on the grid.”