It’s called geothermal energy, and it’s an interesting prospect for this country. Because geothermal energy does not have the intermittent problems of wind and solar power, in other words it provides a steady supply of energy day and night, and it does not occupy surface land, the Roseau Valley remains in its natural state. It drips.

Most SIDS rely on imported fossil fuels for power generation and transportation, placing significant strain on their resources and exposing them to the vagaries of international fuel markets, putting their energy security at risk.

But Dominica has a powerful source of clean power beneath the Roseau Valley, a popular tourist destination just a short drive from the capital, Roseau. It’s clean, completely renewable, and there’s so much energy the government can sell the surplus. There is a possibility that it can be supplied. Provides electricity to neighboring islands.

high pressure project

The pipes are drilled deep underground until they reach a “geothermal reservoir” where water is stored, heated to about 250 degrees Celsius by the Earth’s underground heat. Because Dominica is located on a volcanic ridge, this heat is relatively close to the surface. When the pipe reaches the reservoir, high pressure pushes it to the surface, where it is converted to steam to drive turbines and generate electricity.

“We have discovered an amazing geothermal reservoir about 1,000 meters below the Roseau Valley,” said Fred John, director of the state-run Dominica Geothermal Development Corporation. “We built two wells, one to pump the hot water and one to return the hot water to the reservoir. So it’s a closed-loop system. We’re the most environmentally friendly. We chose the best-in-class technology.”

The Dominican government has believed for decades that geothermal power could transform lives, and currently relies primarily on expensive imported diesel as a power source, with hydroelectric power and small amounts of wind and solar power. You can reduce the electricity bill in this country, which is supplemented by electricity. .

Transformed over decades

“Dominica has been pursuing this energy source since 1969,” said Vince Henderson, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Business, Trade and Energy. “A study carried out with the support of the United Nations found that we have the potential to provide electricity to this island. I have always had the ambition to realize that potential.”

It took almost 40 years for the government to secure the funding needed to drill test wells, confirming that geothermal power was commercially viable and allowing sales to neighboring islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe. Ta.

“Geothermal power development is very expensive, especially for remote island countries. We have been fortunate to have received a combination of subsidies and preferential financing to reach our current position,” said Henderson. , the Caribbean Development Bank, the American Development Bank, and the World Bank, as well as the governments of New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. “However, if the international community is serious, it will need upfront investment through grant aid,” he added.

The Dominican government is confident that geothermal energy from this power plant will be able to power the island within the next two years, but given the decades-long struggle to get the project off the ground, some waiting time may be a long time coming. short.

“I think this gives this country a real chance to transform economically,” John said. “The first step is cheaper electricity for everyone, and that will make a big difference. But then we will continue to sell it, bring revenue to Dominica, and the economy of the whole island will rise.” It makes it possible.”