Power utility Jamaica Public Service Company is installing another twelve EV charging stations this year, with the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston and the Juici Patties complex in Clarendon Park among the new locations.
“Both the supermarket customers, while shopping, and Spanish Court guests, especially those attending functions, will be able to use it,” said hotelier Christopher Issa.
Issa’s supermarket and hotel sit on connecting properties in New Kingston. JPS is headquartered two blocks away from Issa’s complex.
The deal between the hotelier and the power utility, which holds a monopoly on power distribution, doesn’t appear to involve rent or a revenue split. Spanish Court will essentially be hosting the EV station.
“We are providing the space as a convenience to our customers,” said Issa, when asked about the financial arrangement. “And they put in their own power,” he said.
The plan involves installing a ‘fast charger’ at S-Foods, a grocery mart on the compound of the Spanish Court Hotel in Kingston. The charging station will allow for two cars to charge at the same time. JPS will be installing Level 3 ports which can charge a vehicle to 80 per cent of capacity in 30 minutes, according to a JPS tender document seeking a contractor to install the charging ports. Bids are due on June 16.
Jukie Chin, founder of Juici Patties, asked for more time to speak about the arrangement with JPS.
The utility plans to equip Clarendon Park with two Level 2 chargers.
JPS has disclosed the locations for 10 of the 12 EV stations, namely, S-Foods; two for Clarendon Park; TotalEnergies gas stations in Drax Hall, Discovery Bay, White River and Greenwood; two at Go Gas Mart in Mandeville; and a location White Hall, Negril.
If it hits the target, its EV network would rise from the current 10 to 22 stations, and more are planned after 2023 in a continued build-out of the Jamaica’s EV power infrastructure.
Another energy company, Evergo Jamaica, has installed some 57 charging ports in 13 parishes, so far, with plans to move that to 110 by year end, according to JPS.
The Evergo ports are mounted at 23 EV charging locations, nationally, according to information on the company’s website.
Other prominent EV charging ports locations outside the traditional service station network include AC by Marriott Hotel in Kingston and Hollywell in the Blue Mountains.