KINGSTON, Jamaica – Supreme Ventures Racing and Entertainment Limited (SVREL), operators of Caymanas Park, on Monday announced that they have installed a solar energy system at their Portmore location as part of their modernization and sustainability strategy.

Minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation, Matthew Samuda, said with Supreme Ventures’ launch of its 1.7-megawatt solar facility, Jamaica is one step closer to the advancement of its climate change mitigation efforts.

As such, making his address at the official launch of the Caymanas Park Solar Energy Project, Samuda said that mitigation primarily is about cutting emissions.

He added that Jamaica has already indicated that it will move 50 per cent of its energy generation into renewables, and the size of this plant is a good step towards the country’s climate change mitigation efforts.

In addition to reducing the carbon footprint of the track operations, this investment will allow SVREL to redirect resources to improve other aspects of the park and the horseracing industry in general, which provides employment to hundreds of Jamaicans.

“Horse racing generally is the 17th most consumed sport globally. One thing we are sure of is that no economic activity will thrive without making the changes it needs to ‘green’ itself,” he said.

“It is the only way we are going to build resilience and the only way we are going to build in the capacity for the prosperity we have been preaching,” he added.

Samuda also noted that he is encouraged by Supreme Ventures’ step to reduce its carbon footprint and welcomed additional private sector partnerships in the fight against climate change.

“This is a major step, now that step can’t be only done by government, it will take private sector investment, it will take private sector partnerships with the government to ensure that we put in place the amount of renewable that is required,” he said.

“As well as how we go about changing our national fleet, both publicly owned and privately owned to electric vehicles,” he added.

Samuda indicated that electric vehicles have a clear advantage as there is a 60 per cent savings on fuel usage weekly, with or without the use of renewables. He encouraged operators to consider moving in this direction with the government.