Key Points:
Jamaica Broilers has commissioned a 6.5-megawatt LNG-powered co-generation plant at its Spring Village facility, which now runs completely off-grid, significantly reducing energy costs and emissions while serving as a prototype for expanding energy-saving measures to other sites.

The LNG plant incorporates heat recovery technology to improve efficiency and is expected to cut sulphur dioxide and particulate emissions by over 70%, enhancing operational resilience against market volatility and supply shocks, especially during hurricane season.

While LNG is the initial focus for Spring Village, Jamaica Broilers is exploring other renewable options like solar for different facilities, such as the White Marl hatchery, aligning with national energy priorities and the company’s long-term goals for sustainability and competitiveness.

JAMAICA Broilers’ newly commissioned co-generation plant at its flagship Best Dressed Chicken facility in Spring Village will serve as the prototype for how the poultry giant intends to transform its operations islandwide.

Group President and CEO Christopher Levy confirmed that the company is already evaluating how to replicate the energy-saving model at other locations, including its hatchery facilities in White Marl, also located in St Catherine.

“This would be the model on which we expand our energy savings,” Levy said in an interview with the Jamaica Observer following the plant’s commissioning ceremony. “Basically, with this LNG model, it creates the platform for us to continue to go in that direction.”

The 6.5-megawatt liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant now powers 100 per cent of operations at the Spring Village site. It’s the largest facility in the Jamaica Broilers portfolio and, critically, the most energy-intensive.

“We had to get this one under control first,” Levy explained. “This is our biggest energy user.”
The company has not disclosed precise savings, but Levy described the impact as “significant enough to pay back the money.”

The investment, totaling US$8 million, was financed with the help of Scotia Bank and is expected to materially reduce Jamaica Broilers’ reliance on grid-supplied power, offering cost stability and environmental benefits.

A section of the 6.5-megawatt LNG-powered cogeneration engine at Jamaica Broilers’ Best Dressed Chicken facility in Spring Village, St Catherine. The system provides both electricity and steam, allowing the plant to operate fully off-grid with greater energy efficiency and resilience.

The move comes at a time when energy costs remain a persistent concern for Jamaican businesses, especially those in manufacturing and agro-processing. Jamaica Broilers’ decision to go fully off-grid at its plant was hailed by Government ministers as not just a cost-saving measure, but as a signal of where large agribusinesses might be heading.

That direction isn’t uniform, however. While LNG is the fuel of choice for Spring Village, Levy says the company is open to exploring other renewable technologies based on the unique needs of each facility.

“We feel like there are opportunities at the White Marl facility, especially for something like solar,” he told the BusinessWeek. “I can’t share a timeline on that—let’s digest this one first.”

Jamaica Broiler’s White Marl and Cumberland hatcheries in St Catherine serve an extensive network of contract and independent farmers with high-quality day-old chicks. Of the two, Cumberland is already undergoing transformation. Last year, the company injected $200 million into upgrading the facility with automated incubators and high-efficiency heating systems to boost chick survival rates and output.

While no major announcements have been made for White Marl in recent times, Levy’s comments suggest it may be next in line for an energy upgrade which aligns with national energy policy priorities and the company’s stated sustainability goals.

Spring Village, however, remains the flagship facility not just in scale, but in ambition. The LNG plant includes a heat recovery steam generator (HRSG), capturing waste heat to create steam for poultry processing, making the entire system more efficient and less polluting. According to company data, the plant is expected to reduce sulphur dioxide and particulate emissions by more than 70 per cent.

“This project isn’t just about savings, it’s about resilience. It gives us greater insulation from market volatility and supply shocks, especially in hurricane season,” Levy told the audience during the official launch.

The Spring Village model is also a potential proof of concept for other energy-hungry sectors, Agriculture Minister Floyd Green noted. Jamaica’s poultry industry, though self-sufficient in production, is known for its high electricity and fuel demands—especially in hatchery operations, feed mills, and cold storage. By investing in clean energy infrastructure tailored to its operational needs, Jamaica Broilers is arguably setting the tone for how agribusinesses might compete in a future of high fuel prices and climate risk.

“This 6.5-megawatt plant powered by energy is a Caribbean first in scale and integration. To be honest, there are countries much wealthier than Jamaica who have been trying to get these things done, but Jamaica continues in agriculture to lead the way,” Green said.

Still, Levy was careful to point out that this is a long game.

“There’s no one-size-fits-all,” he said. “We’re learning as we go, but the direction is clear; we want to be more efficient, more sustainable, and ultimately more competitive.”