Daraine Luton, Staff Reporter

Winston Watson (left), general manager of Petrojam, has a discussion with Energy Minister Clive Mullings after a press conference to update the media about a fire at the Petrojam refinery on Marcus Garvey Drive in Kingston yesterday evening. Looking on is Recardo Neins, general manager Petrojam Ethanol. - Norman Grindley/Acting Photography Editor

A FIRE at Petrojam has forced Government to go searching for ethanol to drive its E10 project.

The ethanol cooling tower was destroyed in the blaze, which took place at the state-owned oil refinery yesterday afternoon.

Despite the snag, Energy Minister Clive Mullings said the price at which the E10 gasolene is sold would not be affected.

No disruption

"We cannot process any ethanol until the cooling tower is replaced but, in the meantime, arrangements have been made to bring in ethanol so the E10 programme will not be disrupted," Mullings said.

The E10 product was launched on November 1, at which time Mullings announced a 60 per cent duty concession on the importation of flexi-fuel vehicles that consume ethanol-blended fuel.

Government has given a commitment that E10 will be sold at $2 less than the price of the 87-octane gasolene.

"It could have been worse," Mullings told journalists at a hastily convened press conference at Petrojam in Kingston yesterday.

Petrojam's General Manager Winston Watson explained that the cooling tower destroyed in yesterday's fire was at the heart of the E10 production.

"It is essential in that it cools the alcohol as it is going through the dehydration process so it is an integral part of the process," Mullings said.

Jamaica currently imports wet alcohol from Brazil, which is processed at the Petrojam refinery to produce ethanol.

Mullings told The Gleaner that it was not difficult to access ethanol and noted that Petrojam had enough in supply to drive the E10 project in case of disruption.

"We have contingency plans in place for supply and we are going to activate that," Mullings said.

The minister added that he expects an investigation into the fire and "within short order we will know the cause of it and see how best we can get things back up and ready as soon as possible".

The processing of other grades of gasolene will not be affected, Mullings said.

daraine.luton@gleanerjm.com