Minister for Energy Rayburn Blackmoore has said that Dominica is one step closer to energy production.
Speaking at a site visit of a production well at Laudat, Blackmoore explained that a six-day flow test conducted on it has proved that the well is productive.
“This has been a very long and difficult journey both in terms of mobilizing the financial resources and the technical competence to get us to this point that we are now at,” he said. “This process started where the cap was released safely and efficiently, adhering to the best practices in the geothermal industry and that is commendable.”
According to him, the well is able to produce 11.4 megawats of electricity.
“I have been so advised that through monitoring and the information coming from this well we can generate up to 11.4 megawatts which surpassed the capacity that we once thought off which was 5 megawatts. That is commendable,” he noted.
In the meantime, Blackmoore dispelled the notion that no Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was done during the entire process.
“To dispel the notion that the testing is being done by myself or Mr (Alexis) George only,” he noted. “We have been able to attract and contract the best talent in the industry for the drilling process, the testing process, and the supervision component. At every level of the process, the test wells process we had an EIA done, at the production well level an EIA was done at every instance we sought or received permission from the Physical planning agency.”
Blackmoore added that the safety and security of the Dominican people are a priority and therefore the best practices have been employed throughout the process.
In the meantime, Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit pointed out that although the geothermal project is an expensive undertaking it is being done because his government heard the cry of the nation.
“It is a very expensive undertaking particularly the exploratory stages,” he noted. “We have spent in excess of $50-million that we have mobilized to get to this level. Why has the government pursued this very ambitious and indeed very expensive venture it is simply because we have been listening to the cries of the Dominican population, our business people, the people involved in manufacturing, the tourism people, the hoteliers and every citizen of this country who receives an electricity bill at the end of each month.”
The Prime Minister noted that Dominica remains plagued with high costs of energy because of the exorbitant cost of fuel.
“The solution to high energy cost is to explore what the good Lord has given to you as they have done in other countries in respect to fossil fuel,” he said. “He has given to us a resource called geothermal and it is the wish that we take advantage of what we have to our benefit.”
Skerrit indicated further that although there is nothing wrong with criticism, they must remain wary of individuals who simply do not want to see Dominica progress.
He urged Dominicans to remain steadfast with the development efforts going on in Dominica.
This is a commendable endeavor by government; while I may have concerns re the size of government vs the private sector – it is obvious that only government could have finance this risky venture.
The Caribbean region has access to an abundance of renewable and other energy resources – but the $ needed to access is huge. But the Caribbean is largely dependent on relatively high-cost imported fuel and electricity, and this high cost of energy diverts resources away from economic development, reduces competitiveness, and renders the energy sectors of Caribbean nations vulnerable to supply shocks. Our small relatively isolated economies become unattractive investment and discourage investment necessary to build sustainable businesses.
In such circumstances – it is a very courageous decision by the D/ca government – we should wish them luck – because if successful – Dominica will be well positioned for new foreign direct investment as its competitive criteria becomes more business friendly.
At the risk of political attack – well done PM Skerrit.
JOSHUA FRANCIS for Roseau South!
All the way for the caring man.
Joshua is our new Parl Rep!
After 19years NO MORE ABMBROSE PWEN COUWEE
Hmmm. Domlec still owns all the distribution lines .If i know business people they will find a way to keep there 8 million a year in profits. Domlec must be doing something ,who makes 8 million in profits on a little island like that with 70 thousand people? somebody dancing with the devil .lol
Please Blackmoore——-
Those who dont like the sound of that good news, tell them i say DONT BE A HATER
I hope Athie and friends stop crying now
Was it the same Blackmoore and Austrie who said that with Petro Caribbe we would get cheaper electricity? Did that happen? I would like the person under the heading”DCA NEXT OPPOSITION,” answer that question or please find out for me.
Secondly there still needs to be much more work in order to find out whether this source is reliable and sustainable. Getting the source , the steam, is not the only cost but what about the plant to generate the electricity using steam rather than fossil fuel?You guys please stop playing politics! Change is a must.
hey look Blackmoore said…120 megawatts of energy can be generated commercially for both local and export use.. but when tests conducted, as stated above…, the well is able to produce 11.4 megawatts of electricity.
Link to Blackmoore article:
https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/environment/geothermal-energy-by-2015-blackmoore/
only one well has been tested thus far hence the 11.4 MW, i think he was referring to the overall potential of said project
I am not a Blackmore fan, but don’t distort the truth. That is only one well. It just means the would need more wells to reach that capacity. The technical people did say that additional wells can be drilled within the existing pad. Let’s be fair. I go by what the technical people said – not Blackmore; he just regurgitates what’s was said to him.
The six day flow test successfully conducted by the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica and its partners at the geothermal production well at Laudat is a very positive sign for the future of cheaper, cleaner, renewable and sustainable electrical energy for Dominica… With a production capacity of 11.4 megawatts of electricity from this test means that the future is bright as according to the officials there is tremendously more to be harnessed from the island’s geothermal potential. Dominicans will definitely benefit when we start generating electrical energy from our island’s geothermal resources.
My recommendation is, given the drastic decrease in the importation of diesel fuel and other petroleum products for the generation of electrical energy, Government can now provide electricity to every corner of Dominica, and in particular provide street lights on all public main roads, within all communities and public spaces within those communities, all government buildings… In fact lighting up the entire island should now be a major priority…
The introduction of geothermal energy will give a major boost to the island’s image as a lucrative investment location and will encourage new investments opportunities in the manufacturing and the tourism and hospitality sectors.
I hope that any new agreement with Dominica Electricity Services Ltd (DOMLEC) will ensure that the cost of electricity to the consuming public is reduced by more than two thirds as there will soon be no need for a fuel surcharge, and no charge for fuel as this will soon be a thing of the past…
I wish the Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica, all those who support the exploration of geothermal energy and all those you are sceptical and or show concern for the potential hazards, etc and rightfully so…
Notwithstanding, we all have to be optimistic and be positive about the future benefits and new opportunities that cheaper, cleaner, renewable and sustainable electricity can have on Dominica as a potential investment location for Foreign Direct Investments and Local investments… providing opportunities for improved standards of living, increased opportunities for job creation and improved revenue generation for the government to continue its many socio-economic programmes with the country…
I wish all those involved well in the continued exploration and eventual opportunities from the geothermal energy initiative.
You angling for another government contract William?
Lol few comments. Such an interesting people, waiting to hear the volcano erupted instead?
Good Job Mr. Prime Minister & Mr. Blackmoore. Good first step. Make it happen. Others have safely done it. We can also do the same. http://youtu.be/XRAQrDduaU0
and what alu going to do about all them stray dogs all about the place???????????????????????????????????
@ you keep talking about stray dogs its the people fault it have stray dogs again the ex-mayor of town had a program in place to rid the place of these dogs these people cry it down they had to stop now you crying let the people that stopped the program find ways to get rid of them, but its some Dominicans habit always crying down every thing then years later those same people blaming people like the airport they cry that down now they want one blaming other people for not building on now they crying down geothermal if it stop they will cry electricity to high, but I do wish you luck.
Red
Oh, oh.
where is Arthie now?
hey look Blackmoore said…120 megawatts of energy can be generated commercially for both local and export use.. but when tests conducted, as stated above…, the well is able to produce 11.4 megawatts of electricity.
Link to Blackmoore article:
https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/environment/geothermal-energy-by-2015-blackmoore/
It’s a pity that the opposition party is now so much against the geothermal energy project. This is one of the reason why they will be beaten at the poles again big time.
Layba is going to clean the house with 21.
Ask Jaime Malgraysa he is a little god he knows and sees all things.I thought it was only God who knows and sees all things but some propagandists and gent bouef know alot.
where is lennox linton??????????
I welcome the new technology and I hope much success in the production of cheap electricity. However, I am very skeptical about ‘cheap’ electric supply. Remember my people, Dominica has one of the highest, if the not the highest source of renewable energy in the Caribbean, and maybe even amount the top on the world already. If you forgot, hydro electric is a renewable source. However, Dominica has one of the highest electric rate in the Caribbean. Think about that, and ask the government to give us some more assurance that our bills will be lowest, and potentially by how much. Will the production remain the property of Dominica? Will it ever be privatized?
When Roosevelt Skerrit gave Bishop Malzaire $5oo,ooo he could only present him with a cheque for $300,000, at the time. I have a suspicion that that money came from the funds of the Dominican National Petroleum Co and that there was no more in the kitty at the time. I also have a suspicion that the increase in the price of electricity will be coupled to an increase in the price of fuel in order to enable the P.M. to replenish that kitty .I could be wrong, of course, in which case I would be happy to see a categorcal denial from the office of the Prime Minister with an explanation which Govt. account the donation to the church came from..
“Skerrit indicated further that although there is nothing wrong with criticism, they must remain wary of individuals who simply do not want to see Dominica progress.”
Really? Who are these individuals, Skerrit?
even after a geothermal plant is up and running the price of electricity won’t go down immediately, remember the same happened with the hydro plant, mayb in the nxt 10-15 years we will see a drop in our electricity rates
It’s great to see progress being made in that area. Geothermal exploration was the talk of the land for so many years. Finally, it’s in the beginning stages of becoming a tangible reality.
No doubt, an EIA must have been performed for such activity and the 505 page report “Phase 2: Environmental Survey and Impact Assessment of Geothermal Wells Drilling in the Roseau Valley. Environmental Impact Assessment” speaks volumes of the quantum of baseline studies carried out. Some good stuff inside there, well done.
However we still have ONE genuine concern with regards to the TRACER studies which were conducted for RE-INJECTION wells. We would be most grateful if this information could be made PUBLIC which would dispel the notion even to an informed observer that such information does not exist. According to the Hon. Minister “…At every level of the process, the test wells process we had an EIA done, at the production well level an EIA was done at every instance we sought or received permission from the Physical planning agency.”
So why the concern with TRACER studies and the relevant EIA for such activity ….. because Tracer testing, combined with comprehensive interpretation and cooling predictions (reinjection modelling), is probably the most important tool for mitigating against the cooling of production wells associated with re-injection.
Actually Tracer testing has become a highly important tool in geothermal research, development and resource management, with its role being most significant in reinjection studies. This is because tracer tests provide information on the nature and properties of connections, or flow-paths, between reinjection and production wells, connections that control the danger and rate of cooling of the production wells during long-term reinjection of colder fluid.
HOWEVER, and this is the concern, the tracers most commonly used in geothermal systems are fluorescent dyes, chemical substances and radioactive isotopes, all of which potentially have serious negative environmental impact on this fragile ecosystem, not to mention adverse impact on human health. To date we have not read in any public domain a Govt. issued document with such content.
Anonymous, very interested in who produced that E.I.A. Could you give us the name of the individual(s) please. Many thanks.
I applaud the news although this could have been done in safe mode. Anyway the PM took a gamble with the lives of the people and it seem to work. But I don’t understand why he would gamble with the lives of Dominicans….SMH
I don’t trust these guys sounding the alarm concerning cheaper electricity as a result of their progress with Geothermal energy.
You still need to go Skerrit
our petrol cost would come down before oil refinery did not come true
the question are we going to get cheaper electric bills as promised? we cannot forgt befor the oil refinery was place at belfast, we were told our electric bill will come down. that was a lie.
We do not have an oil refinery at Jimmit, Belfast or anywhere else. What we do have is a storage facility for consumer-ready oil products, mainly diesel fuel.
@ Cheaper electricity now let me inform you that there’s no oil refinery in Dominica
Have patience! Wait! You will soon find out. When you do I hope it will make you happy and contented.
it is not an oil refinery nuisance its fuel storage tanks
I hope the minister is right. We certainly can do with lower electricity cost. However, I think he is a bit premature since we do not know yet the true potential of the well or the eventual cost of production. I certainly would not want to end up in a situation where we subsidise the price of electricity to the French islands with a higher cost at home!
In the mean time I would suggest that the P.M. effects an immediate cut in electricity prices by foregoing the profits accumulating in the account of the Dominica National Petroleum Company, which are under his direct control and so enable Domlec to purchase diesel fuel at a lower cost. I am surprised that the IRC, which is supposed to act in the interest of the consumers, has never focused on this cost factor, or campaigned for a lowering of the VAT rate.
Meanwhile I’m keeping my fingers crossed and, unlike the minster will not sell the bear’s skin before it is shot.
Great Malgraysa!
Look like you are finally becoming a thinker.
Did Jaime have a conversation with you today? Jaime’s analyst.
keep up the good effort.
Skerrit might reward you next round with a Senatorship.
would you accept? people with their ears close to the ground are waiting on ur response.
We know you a cut from the old freedom cloth so you could do well in the hybrid DFP-controlled-Neo DLP,
:et me hear you like my pal the late like Jaime Mally Frampton. Did you know him Jaime? I meant Malgraysa. Isuspect U are a jaime reincarnate. Seeing U are supplying propaganda to thepolitical populace unlike jaime who supplied to athletes lol
Bondi, you sound like you have been stung by a bee. maybe Malgraysa getting too close? I have heard before that the P.M. is allegedly using oil money under his direct control to finance pet projects and God knows what else. Maybe we should investigate that. Did Austrie ever publish the returns of his company as he should?
Think positive and hope for the best.
What a shame. Lies now replace policy.
With the combination of Geothermal Energy, Wind Turbines and the Hydroelectric power plant we should be energy independent. Using solar energy to power air conditioning in homes, small and large buildings should also be explored… the best part of that… the hotter the sun the more power the panels will have for cooling.
In addition installing electric charging stations and importing electric vehicles we should gradually reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.
The high cost of energy is one of the main reasons that investors are wary of taking a chance on Dominica. When you add the exorbitant Value Added Tax, VAT to the equation, you understand why it’s so difficult for us to move forward and grow as a small island nation.
Sound like Malgraysa and Arthie. with ur ideas.
sadly this will never happen because of greed, solar energy is the only true sustainable energy source… unless the sun disappears… nothing stopping solar energy…
or at least have the importation and purchase of solar panels free of duty and taxes…
add biogas into the mix
sadly this will never happen because of greed, solar energy is the only true sustainable energy source… unless the sun disappears… nothing stopping solar energy…
or at least have the importation and purchase of solar panels free of duty and taxes…
DNO you need to get Arthie take on this, please interview the man for us.
DNO you can lead and have the others follow….we have made huge leaps in our energy independence
lol snh we havent’ tried the ting yet bro!Just tests to see what ah go .It have to be hooked up andsupplied to homes factories which we havevery few of before we can say okay we are en=route.
Yes, and call Michael Astaphan also to explain to us Govt. making more money out of electricity than Domlec, on our backs! Also call mr. Coce to ask him about the nuisance of second-guessing by the Independent Regulatory Commission, which is not independent at all but part of Govt. to make it look like Domlec alone is making all the money. That Govt. is two-faced.
Athie is not a puppet of Skerrit. He will give his views for sure, though you may not agree with them. This corrupt government has such a large palatform of LIES, TRICKERY AND DECEPTION, real Dominicans will always have problems in believing them.
Some weeks ago a rally was supposed to take place. What happened? I do not recall reading that it ever took place.