NCB eyes nuclear energy for Portmore development

NCB Chairman Michael Lee-Chin and his team met with Portmore Mayor Leon Thomas today to discuss a groundbreaking partnership for Portmore's development, with a particular focus on nuclear energy expansion.

Lee-Chin highlighted nuclear energy as key to Portmore's future growth.

"There is a shift away from fossil fuel, and the question is how is Portmore setting itself up to have small modular reactors, which will be the source of energy. How are we as a municipality putting ourselves in a position to generate our own energy?" he asked.

He stressed that nuclear fission could help Portmore establish an industrial base that relies on sustainable energy.

“Portmore, up until now, has been a dormitory city for Kingston,” said Lee-Chin, “but the city now has to look at long-term sustainability and independence, having its own revenue sources and its own identity.”

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Mayor Thomas called the talks “fruitful”, but expressed a key challenge: limited land availability due to current parish boundaries.

“Land space is what we need for further development and industrial expansion in Portmore,” he said, hoping that Lee-Chin might influence the Prime Minister Andrew Holness to adjust the boundary designation for more industrial land.

Lee-Chin affirmed NCB's commitment: “I am humbled that we at NCB can continue to contribute to the development of Jamaica, the municipality, parish by parish.”

- Ruddy Mathison