EU to fund study on Caribbean geothermal link

• 12 years ago (2012-02-03)
• David Flin

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The European Investment Bank (EIB) has agreed to provide a €1.1 million grant to enhance planning and study the feasibility of exporting geothermal electricity from Dominica to Martinique and Guadeloupe in the Caribbean. The EIB will study possible links from Dominica to Guadeloupe to the north and from Dominica to Martinique in the south.

Plutarchos Sakellaris, Vice President of them EIB, said: “Ensuring the most effective use of geothermal energy as a sustainable source of electricity generation offers immense potential for transforming energy use and economic growth in the Caribbean. The EIB is pleased to contribute to overcoming specific technical and engineering challenges essential to lowering the energy costs to Dominica and to significantly increase electricity generation from renewable energy sources in the East Caribbean.”

Rayburn Blackmore, Dominican Public Works, Energy and Ports Minister, said that having the EIB on board was “very instrumental” in giving the country’s geothermal programme exposure to “attract the best in geothermal business.”

The EU contribution will help a project that could generate 120 MW for export and 200 MW for domestic use. Currently, the government of Dominica, supported by the EU and the Agence Francaise de Developpement, is drilling three test wells in Laudet and Wolten-Waven to determine the potential of geothermal in the country’s Roseau Valley, and plans to build a 5 MW test plant.