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The Jamaica Public Service Company (JPS) has access to approximately 940 MW of functional generation capacity, of which 571 MW is generated by itself, and 368 MW by independent power producer (IPPs) (Table 4.8). JPS generates electricity using: steam (oil-fired), simple-cycle gas (combustion) turbines, CCGT, slow speed diesel (SSD), hydropower, and wind. The IPPs that sell electricity to JPS include: Jamaica Energy Partners (JEP), Jamaica Private Power Company (JPPC), Jamalco, West Kingston Power Partners (WKPP), Wigton Windfarm Limited (WWFL), BMR Jamaica Wind (BMRJW), and Content Solar Limited (CSL).

Table 4.8 Functional generation capacity of the electricity system
Owner/Operator Type Installed capacity (functional) (MW)
Total 938.73
JPS 570.57
IPPs 368.16
IPPs (firm capacity) 249.86
JEP Medium speed diesel (MSD) 124.36
JPPC SSD 60.00
WKPPa MSD 65.50
JAMALCOb Steam 00.00
IPPs (as-available energy) 118.30
WWFLc Wind power 62.70
BMRd Wind power 36.30
Content Solare Solar PV 20.00
a In 2012, the WKPP generation plant, based on MSD engine technology and operating on heavy fuel oil (HFO), was commissioned, which added 65.5 MW of firm capacity to the grid. WKPP has a 20-year power purchase agreement with JPS.
b Contracted for 11 MW. Capacity constraints due to altered configuration.
c WWFL currently owns and operates three wind generation facilities supplying a total of 62.7 MW of contracted capacity to JPS' system, subject to a 20-year power purchasing agreement (PPA). The most recent facility was commissioned in 2016.
d The 36.3 MW wind generation facility, owned and operated by BMRJW, was commissioned in 2016 to supply energy to the system under a 20-year PPA.
e The 20 MW solar PV facility, owned and operated by CSL, was commissioned in 2016 to supply energy to the system under a 20-year PPA.
Source: Information provided by OUR.

The renewable energy contribution to the total energy supply mix has increased in the last decade: from 5% in 2007 to 7.84% in 2016, [18] due to the addition of a number of renewable energy generation facilities to the system, namely: Wigton II (18 MW – wind) in 2010, JPS Constant Spring Hydro (0.8 MW – hydro) in 2009 (recommissioning), JPS Munro Wind Farm (3 MW – wind) in 2010, JPS Maggotty Hydro (6.37 MW – hydro) in 2014, Wigton III (24 MW – wind) in 2016, BMR (36 MW – wind) in 2016, and Cotent Village (20 MW – solar) in 2016. The Government introduced other initiatives to increase the share of renewable energy in the energy mix, such as the full roll-out of ethanol blended with gasoline in 2009. Jamaica has approximately 151.1 MW of renewable energy capacity from hydro, solar and wind power plants. In addition, a licence was given to Eight Rivers Energy Company in 2016 to supply up to 37 MW of electricity from a solar photovoltaic plant; it is planned to be commissioned in December 2018.

[18] The MSET stated that recently energy generated from renewable sources reached 10.5% of net electricity generation.

The primary mandate of the Maritime Authority of Jamaica, established under the Shipping Act 1988, is to regulate and develop shipping in Jamaica. Its functions include the registration of ships, regulating safety and security of shipping, preventing ship-source pollution, and training and certification of seafarers. In 2016, 17 commercial vessels were registered, up from 8 in 2011.

Other legislation being adopted or amended includes:
a. The Ballast Water Management Convention Bill, 2017, to implement the requirements of the Ballast Water Management Convention adopted by the IMO in 2004, and to provide a legal framework for the regulation and management of ships' ballast water and the sediments which remained in the tanks of vessels after the ballast water had been discharged; and
b. The Shipping (Amendment) Bill, 2016, including the Shipping (Welfare of Seafarers and Maritime Labour Compliance) Regulations, 2016, the Shipping (Pollution Prevention, Response, Liability and Compensation) Bill, the Shipping (Prevention of Pollution of the Sea) Act, 2012, and the Shipping (Training, Certification, Safe Manning, Hours of Work and Watchkeeping) (Amendment) Regulations, 2016.

Regarding plurilateral negotiations in relation to the WTO, Japan has actively participated in plurilateral negotiations such as the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA) and the Environmental Goods Agreement (EGA). As for TiSA, the leaders of the G7 declared at the G7 Ise-Shima Summit that they look forward to concluding negotiations on an ambitious, balanced and mutually beneficial agreement by the end of 2016. As for EGA, in the Leader's Communique of the G20 Hangzhou Summit 2016, the EGA members welcomed the landing zone achieved in the WTO EGA negotiations, and reaffirmed their aim to redouble efforts to bridge remaining gaps and conclude an ambitious, future-oriented EGA that seeks to eliminate tariffs on a broad range of environmental goods by the end of 2016. These negotiations will achieve significant progress towards multilateral trade liberalization.

Japan and the United States conducted negotiations on non-tariff measures (NTMs) and on motor vehicle trade in parallel to the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) negotiations. The negotiation on NTMs included the areas of Insurance, Transparency/Trade Facilitation, Investment, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Standards, Government Procurement, Competition Policy, Express Delivery and SPS. The negotiation on motor vehicle trade included (...) Green/New Technology Vehicles, (...)

In the course of the Japan-Russia summit meeting held in May 2016, the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe presented an eight-point cooperation plan to Russian President Vladimir Putin, aiming at the development of Japan-Russia economic relations. Both leaders agreed to materialize the plan. The points of the plan are (...) (2) Developing comfortable and clean cities that are easy to reside and live in; (...)

In order to strengthen the economic relationship between Japan and the Republic of Korea, the 14th Japan-Republic of Korea High-Level Economic Consultation was held on 12 January 2015. Both sides exchanged views to promote bilateral trade and investment, and reaffirmed the importance of cooperation on global issues such as energy security and the environment. (...)

Currently, in accordance with the "Five Promises for Attracting Foreign Businesses to Japan" and the "Policy Package for Promoting Foreign Direct Investment into Japan to Make Japan a Global Hub", through a steady driving growth strategy including discussion and drawing conclusions so as to simplify regulations and administrative procedures relevant to foreign companies, the Government of Japan will actively improve Japan's business and living environment, and actively attract foreign investment.