THE Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) has said its environmentally friendly combined heat and power (CHP) plant is significantly supporting operations at CB Group’s (CBG) poultry processing facility.

The plant, which was recently brought online, plays a critical role in powering production at CB’s eco-industrial complex, The Nest, which is located in Hill Run, St Catherine.

Originally unveiled over three years ago, the CHP plant was designed to generate both electricity and steam. It repurposes waste heat from power generation to supply CBG with thermal energy — an efficient and sustainable solution for the company’s processing operations.

During a recent tour of the facility Dionne Nugent, director of business development at JPS, emphasised that the company’s investment of over US$17 million into the development of the plant has played a pivotal role in boosting energy reliability while advancing sustainability goals.

“This CHP plant here at Hill Run is a great example of what partnerships look like between the business community and JPS. Here we have a 10 megawatt CHP plant that’s very efficient [and] that’s supplying power to the gird on the distribution level while also supplying steam as a by-product of that power to the facilities of CB.

“Kudos to Matthew Lyn and the entire team for this type of partnership…I think it’s really an example of what strong partnerships look like, in terms of energy, whereby both the needs of the grid are supplied and also the needs of business to have safe, reliable, resilient and affordable energy,” president and CEO of the JPS Hugh Grant said.

Further speaking to the viability of the CHP model for other businesses, Grant said the country’s sole light and power distributor stands ready to provide the requisite expertise in designing cost-effective and sustainable energy solutions for all businesses, no matter the sector. As part of its strategy, JPS has already signalled ongoing efforts to expand its generating capacity as it plans to incorporate more renewables to reduce adverse environmental impacts.

Lyn, as CEO of the CB Group commenting on the plant’s development, underscored how its integration has been helping his company to efficiently power operations.

“Before we could process a single bird and nest we had to have this partnership with JPS, and it has really been a pleasure working with them to put together something that is special for the country. It’s been absolutely integral to our operation and we are very thankful for everything that JPS has done to get is to this point,” he stated.

The project — which represents a departure from the traditional utility-customer model whereby electricity was simply purchased from the grid — now allows customers like CB Group to contribute power back to the grid while achieving greater energy and cost efficiency.

In addition to enhancing CB’s performance, JPS says the new plant has also improved the reliability of electricity for approximately 33,000 households.

“At peak demand CB uses less than half of the energy produced at the plant, with a great deal of electricity going back to the grid. This improves reliability for residential customers and other small and medium-size businesses in communities in the immediate vicinity of the plant and beyond. It really is a win-win for all stakeholders,” director of generation asset management at JPS, Phillip Whittingham noted.

Touted as a first for Jamaica’s energy sector, the plant integrates multiple energy sources, delivering higher-quality power to the national grid while reducing environmental impact. By using liquefied natural gas (LNG) instead of heavy fuel oil, the facility cuts carbon emissions by up to 30 per cent. Additionally, waste heat that would typically be lost is now captured and converted into usable energy, further enhancing efficiency.

“The real success of The Nest is not what CB is able to deliver or gain from profits, but rather the ability to get people to see, think and act differently in relation to their contribution to Jamaica’s carbon footprint,” Lyn indicated.

Highlighting the plant’s resilience, Whittingham noted its “island mode” capability, which allows it to operate independently in emergencies such as hurricanes. “Power restoration during times of emergencies with a plant of this nature will be very essential in supplying energy to key stakeholders — in this context a large poultry farm like the CB Group. This is indeed a very significant accomplishment and a great initiative going forward.”