The Editor, Sir:

The recent LNG wrangle between Jamaica and Trinidad puts into sharp focus Jamaica's energy policy and the outlook for its energy sector over the medium and long term. The various commentaries on both sides relating to the breakdown in the arrangements for Trinidad to supply some 1.1 million tons of Jamaica's LNG requirements have been mostly negative and show up quite glaringly the level of insularity which continues to characterise inter-island relationships and also the deep reservations about the CSME and its immediate prospects for success.

While LNG supplies is a pragmatic and potentially a economically feasible medium-term solution, the issue of long-term sustainable energy supply remains an enigma. It is in this context that I think that the national energy policy falls short on a number of important considerations. The policy quite rightly mentions the importance of renewable energy supplies and indicates that currently the supplies from this source (wind, hydro, co-generation) account for 12.2 per cent of the national energy consumption. Certainly, there must be opportunities for increasing this contribution.

Little insights

The policy, however, offers very little insights as to how or in what ways Jamaica can join the growing band of countries which contemplate increasingly that part of the solution to global energy and environmental problems is coming from developments i renewable energy resources. In this regard also, it is hoped that the plans for a modern sugar industry will embrace fully the opportunities for ethanol and co-generation that have been under consideration for many years.

Quite noticeable also is the fact that the nation seems timid to even think about the potential of nuclear energy for generating electricity for industrial purposes. The energy policy makes no mention of it and I am wondering what might be the reason. From my perspective and with the current level of development in nuclear technology, there is absolutely nothing wrong in considering this technology in the nation's energy policy. I believe that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA with its programmes, guidelines and technical capabilities) can provide the required technical assistance for the necessary investigations. Additionally, there are international protocols and agreements concerning the use and proliferation of nuclear energy that will establish the framework for the peaceful exploitation of the technology.

Jamaicans needn't be frightened about nuclear energy because it is a fact that nuclear technology is already being employed for research in Jamaica and a slow poke nuclear generator has been installed at the ICENS Centre. For many years, I am also aware of a few studies relating to the use of radonuclids in food industry applications (Energy athways of Canada) although none of these was taken to the implementation stage. Many Jamaicans have studied nuclear chemistry as a minor subject at universities and perhaps are able to inform the discussions on the subject matter.

From the standpoints of politics, security and safety, our North American neighbours and Canada could conceivably provide both financial and technical backstopping support as well as th ongoing monitoring and evaluation to the highest level of efficiency and integrity for the project. The initial focus should be on electricity generation for industrial purposes, street lighting, etc. Incidentally, Suriname has recently announced its intention to consider nuclear energy for electricity generation and it seems an opportunity for us in the region to begin to embrace this technology as a possibility for our long-term energy supply arrangement.

If nothing else, I hope I succeeded in getting our scientists and engineers to begin an active discussion on the issue of nuclear energy

I am, etc.,

AARN ARE

apark@tstt.net.tt

Via Go-Jamaica