In 1995 the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) began investigating the possibility of using wind energy for electricity generation. A wind farm, the first of its kind on the island, was commissioned in 2004 through a wholly owned subsidiary of PCJ, Wigton Windfarm Limited.

The project is located on a ridge, 900 to 1,000 m above sea level, near the community of Wigton, Manchester, about 60 km west of Kingston. The 20.7 MW wind farm is expected to supply the local electric utility, Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS), with at least 7 MW of power, on average. Wind energy production from April to August 2004 was 24.3 GWh, with a peak of 20.8 MW and an average supply of 8.9 MW.

The project has met and exceeded expectations but in its limited time of operation has also experienced its first significant downtime with the passing of a major hurricane through the Caribbean. Damage to the equipment was not severe but did require some repair, including the repairs to the transmission line to the interconnection site.

System description

The wind farm consists of 23 NEG Micon NM 52/900 wind turbines, each with a rated power of 900 kW. The hub height is 49 m. Each turbine has its own low/medium voltage transformer situated inside the tower base. The turbines are sited on a ridge, approximately 100 m apart, in two rows separated by 300 to 350 m. Each turbine is connected to a project-site substation. Interconnection to the utility grid substation is via a 69 kV transmission line.

Lessons learned

A few critical factors have contributed to the financial viability of this project: a good wind resource, the availability of a capital grant to offset initial costs, the price negotiated for the energy generated from the site, the nearby port, and the low-cost availability of land.

The possibility of selling carbon credits from annual emissions reductions will provide additional benefits to projects of this type, making them more financially attractive.

Interruptions by tropical storms will be an integral part of wind energy development in the greater Caribbean and appropriate planning is needed to allow for and manage the effects of these interruptions.

Research is needed in the areas of determining appropriate capacity factor and energy pricing in negotiating power purchase agreements.

The big picture

The use of renewable energy in the Caribbean islands is on the increase and countries like Jamaica, which has to import a major portion of its energy resources, will benefit greatly from the growth of indigenous energy sources. Some of these benefits will include improved energy and economic security due to diversification of the energy mix, import reductions (namely for petroleum) and subsequent improvements in the balance of trade, and technology transfer and building of local expertise in wind technology. To accelerate the realization of these benefits, public policies promoting renewable energy technologies need to be developed more fully, so that market, institutional and cultural barriers can be quickly overcome.

© Minister of Natural Resources Canada 1997-2009
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