The oxygen crisis of 2021 left the health sector crumbling under the pressure of saving patients who were suffering the effects of the delta variant. Though short lived, the crisis exposed the drawback of depending on oxygen imports.
IGL on Tuesday commissioned a new oxygen plant in St. Catherine that will expand the country’s capacity and provide the opportunity for export of gas products. They say hindsight is 2020 but in the case of IGL limited, hindsight is 2018. That’s when the decision was made to invest 100 million Jamaican dollars to build a local oxygen plant.
This aided Jamaica in powering through the oxygen shortage last year, which was brought on by the pandemic. Now, IGL has commissioned another oxygen plant that will expand the island’s oxygen capacity by forty percent. It will also produce nitrogen, a commodity for bauxite plants. Managing director of IGL, peter graham also announced plans to create an industrial park that will host a c-o-2 plant. Minister of industry, investment and commerce, Senator Aubyn Hill says this plant will expand Jamaica’s export product.
