Energy Minister, Ian Douglas, has said that Dominica is moving closer to harnessing geothermal energy.
In a recent statement to observe the end of the year, Douglas revealed that the Dominica Geothermal Company has been registered, and planning of the power plant is progressing.
He also highlighted that the project has garnered support from several countries.
“We are moving ever closer to the vision of realizing power from our geothermal resources. The Dominica Geothermal Company has been duly registered, and plans for the construction of the power plant are progressing satisfactorily,” he stated. “The government has invested further $15-million into this phase of the project. And we have commitments from our friends in New Zealand, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, and the World Bank, to assist us with the completion of this project.”
This follows a decision made by the Government to run the geothermal project as a company solely owned by the government and people of Dominica. US$15-million was to be invested into the geothermal company with funds from the Citizenship by Investment Programme.
This venture, Douglas explained, will be pursued to “ensure that the vision of a prosperous, peaceful and just Dominica is successfully attained.”
The government has spent over $50-million exploring the island’s geothermal potential but there have been complaints in some quarters that the project has been placed on the back burner.
In September 2016, Dominica and New Zealand signed an EC$4-million Partnership Agreement to support the construction of a 7 MW geothermal power plant on the island.
In June 2016, during a visit to Dominica, UK’s Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of International Development, Baroness Sandip Verma, urged the government to “get on” with the much talked-about project, saying it should not be “left to be on the back burner for a long time.”
In April 2016, Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit emphasized the government’s commitment to the harnessing and development of geothermal energy in Dominica.
In March 2015, Energy Minister Ian Douglas said that a draft Geothermal Bill, which will govern the exploration, development and exploitation of power that will be generated from the country’s geothermal resources, is nearing completion.
Douglas said a construction of a small geothermal plant is to begin by 2017.
In 2012 former Energy Minister, Rayburn Blackmoore, said construction of a geothermal plant would begin in the first quarter of 2013.
Also in 2012, Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, told parliament that Dominica could have a geothermal power plant in operation by 2014.
Might just be time for a change next election, shuffle the deck a bit. I grow up hearing promises upon promises until now I am convinced that I must be a fool. Promise of international Airport and roads until after maybe 25 years some sort of roads came to us (getting good share of damage from rains but roads). The airport talk suspect is going to pick up soon. Roseau talk still talking, hospital still waiting, geothermal still promising. What all these talks tell us is that the politicians know and have known for decades the plight of the Dominican people and have not done anything to assist.
So many of us are leaving the country and those who stay, some try to help and others through frustrations only seem to make things worse.
What a beautiful place Dominica is…..and how frightening to observe how the geothermal people could move into Trafalgar like that and build such a frightening place, complete with loud drilling, future knows what will happen…. in the middle of a village. Call me the Manicou.
Still a very inefficient and dangerous way to collect energy…
I would share other ways, only to be treated like Tesla again… foolish people do stupid $h!*
Typical tactic
Push a Red Herring story to distract people from the real embarrassment: the Silver Lake fiasco!
every day in my Island is ALFOOLS day
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Same old familiar lies and gimmicks we heard of during the 2014 elections are resurfacing again! Is this sign that there will be an election in 2017 ?
Goethe WHO?
I wonder who getting the kickbacks from all that money spent so far? Until such time that another government takes over and investigate this who geothermal shenanigan I have no interest or hope anything will come out of that money dumping ground. Ask outrformer UN ambassador about that and see how far away he will run without tunning back
Always Assertive!
Yes Ian, things getting hot in Dominica. I can smell the sulphur already.
A pie in the syk
Breaking news, we are all one day closer to the day we take our last breath.
Funny