CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC – The St. Lucia-based Organisation of Jap Caribbean States (OECS) Fee says the sub-region has launched a complete feasibility examine on buying a geothermal drill rig for shared use by member states.
The OECS contains the islands of Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Kitts and Nevis, Montserrat, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands.
The Fee mentioned that the examine is a major step in the direction of strengthening power safety and advancing the area’s transition to renewable power and that the analysis is being carried out by the Italian agency, ELC-Electroconsult S.p.A., the regional engineering and technical advisor, which is one in all six consultancies employed to offer technical help and advisory providers to beneficiary member states underneath the OECS GEOBUILD programme.
The OECS GEOBUILD, is a programme aimed toward unlocking the geothermal power potential in 5 OECS member states. It really works to convey financial and environmental advantages past electrical energy technology, contributing to the sustainable growth of the area. It’s supported by the Barbados-based Caribbean Growth Financial institution (CDB), the European Union Caribbean Funding Facility (CIF), and the Inter-American Growth Financial institution (IDB).
The Fee mentioned that the drive to advance geothermal power growth is in response to the pressing want to cut back the area’s heavy dependence on imported petroleum fuels, which have lengthy contributed to excessive power prices, financial vulnerability, and international change pressures throughout the Jap Caribbean.
Dominica is about to hitch Guadeloupe in establishing a geothermal energy plant, which is predicted to satisfy practically half of the nation’s every day electrical energy wants by year-end.
The Fee said that the feasibility of buying a geothermal drill rig for shared use amongst OECS member states may considerably improve renewable power growth within the area and instantly deal with one of many major boundaries to geothermal venture development.
Six OECS member states —Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Montserrat —are endowed with vital geothermal assets resulting from their volcanic origins.
“Geothermal power is seen as essentially the most promising renewable power possibility for these islands, providing dependable, 24/7 baseload energy and the potential to remodel nationwide power matrices, decrease electrical energy prices, and cut back carbon emissions consistent with the Paris local weather accord commitments,” the Fee mentioned.
It mentioned that because the regional hub for geothermal growth, the OECS Fee is main efforts to construct technical, institutional, and human capability to speed up the deployment of geothermal tasks by way of the GEOBUILD programme.
The present feasibility examine will assess the technical, financial, and operational feasibility of buying and managing a drill rig that may be deployed throughout a number of islands.
The Fee said that the examine assesses the standing and wishes of geothermal tasks throughout the OECS, examines varied possession and financing fashions—together with public, personal, and public-private partnership (PPP) choices—and identifies the logistical, regulatory, and capacity-building necessities for profitable implementation. It additionally considers different approaches equivalent to coordinated joint bidding for drilling providers and classes from different island areas.
Key challenges recognized could embody the logistical complexities of working heavy gear throughout a number of islands. The examine ought to present evidence-based suggestions to make sure that any resolution adopted is cost-effective, sustainable, and tailor-made to the distinctive wants of OECS member states.
“By proudly owning or sharing a rig, OECS member states could possibly unfold these prices throughout a number of tasks, making drilling extra inexpensive and bettering the financial feasibility of geothermal power, which is in any other case capital-intensive.
“A shared regional drill rig may permit for timelier and coordinated exploration and manufacturing drilling campaigns, decreasing wait occasions and enabling tasks in international locations like Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Nevis to progress consistent with their nationwide power targets,” the Fee added.
It said that Dominica’s exploration and manufacturing drilling has led to the development of a 10-megawatt plant, scheduled to be operational by January 2026. St. Kitts and Nevis is about to obtain bids for manufacturing drilling, which is predicted to start in 2026, with plans for exploration drilling in Grenada and Saint Lucia.
OECS GEOBUILD’s venture supervisor, Dr Ernie Stapleton, mentioned “working with member states, regional companions, and worldwide financiers, we are going to use the findings of this examine to realize insights so we will advise member states on the feasibility of getting a drill rig to be used in drilling, increasing and sustaining geothermal power manufacturing within the OECS”.
He mentioned the findings might be introduced to key stakeholders, particularly the Council of Ministers of Vitality within the OECS.”
“Drilling for geothermal power shouldn’t be new to the Caribbean, however now we have to develop the talents and capability to discover, harness, and drill geothermal wells to construct a geothermal business that’s sustainable and that might be owned and managed by our individuals.
“Now we have proved ourselves greater than able to finishing up complicated drilling to discover or faucet geothermal assets within the area. Witness the progress in the direction of geothermal energy in Dominica,” Stapleton mentioned.
Along with supporting electrical energy technology, conducting drilling is extremely related for creating the direct makes use of of geothermal power throughout the OECS. Direct use functions, equivalent to greenhouse heating, crop drying, meals processing, aquaculture, spa tourism, and varied industrial processes, depend on entry to geothermal warmth at totally different temperatures.
“Having a devoted drill rig may allow OECS member states to faucet into shallow and medium-depth geothermal assets, which are sometimes preferrred for these direct-use tasks. This is able to not solely diversify the financial advantages of geothermal power by supporting agriculture, manufacturing, and tourism, but in addition assist decrease manufacturing prices, create new enterprise alternatives, and foster better resilience by way of native value-added industries,” Dr Stapleton added.”
The OECS Fee said that the feasibility examine findings may current policymakers and decision-makers with a chance to develop a roadmap for regional cooperation, funding, and capability constructing, in addition to inform the design of future power coverage and infrastructure tasks, because the area embarks on its Decade of Motion for Sustainable Vitality Growth within the OECS.
