The People’s Republic of China is expected to be among invitees to a donors’ conference in Dominica as the government continues to explore and develop the island’s geothermal potential.
The conference is expected to held here in September, according to prime minister, Roosevelt Skerrit.
“We are going to host a donor’s meeting specifically relating to geothermal to which China will be invited and all our bilateral and developmental partners, multilateral partners will be invited to this donor conference in Dominica,” he said.
The prime minister said the government will be seeking donation for the construction of a US$400 million, 100-120 megawatt plant on the island.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Skerrit said the construction of a small plant is already being addressed, however funds will be needed for the bigger plant. “You will certainly be looking at a number of financiers to underwrite this US$400 million facility,” he stated.
He said that government will take the opportunity to “sensitize and to apprise our development partners, though we have done so before … we have to do so in a setting like the donor meeting to share with them our own experiences on geothermal and what will be required to allow for its realization.”
The Prime Minister also mentioned that the Agence Francaise de Development (AFD) have negotiated over € 1.1 million on the behalf of Dominica from the European Union to go towards geothermal technical assistance.
“So we are moving from a project management Unit on the Geothermal project to a Project Development Unit to deal with the development of the actual plants,” skerrit pointed out. “And that technical assistance will be for a period of sixty months or five years.”
He said the assistance was significant since Dominica does not have the capacity and human resources as well as the technical skills, to deal with all geothermal related issues.
He said further that the Ministry of Energy has also requested from AFD, training for locals.
“And AFD has indicated that they are prepared to assist with training and providing the regional office to train our Dominican people in a 1st degree level, master’s degree and even PHD level to create this critical mass within the country to properly manage and develop the geothermal resource in the country,” he stated.
Meanwhile Energy Minister Rayburn Blackmoore, said an alternative source of electricity is critical since the price of energy in Dominica is among the highest in the region.
“I want us to take our minds back to the actual reality here in Dominica … we are among the highest in energy costs in the region,” he pointed out. “As a matter of fact we pay $1.10 per kilo watt an hour, this is ridiculously high. It impacts on the domestic households and of course the businesses.”
He said the construction of a small geothermal plant will be beneficial to Dominicans and there will be a further decrease in the price of electricity with the construction of the 120 megawatt plant.
He stated that based on projections and studies, the price of electricity could go down as low as $0.10 per kilo watt hour.
“We believe that this could create a platform for the uptake of our economy,” Blackmoore said.
no group is insignificant in a democracy, but what was said above (about only talk and talk by government about Geothermal energy exploration here in Dominica) is really insignificant.
We all have an opinion, but that opinion may not be schooled in any foundationof fact and soit becomes insignificant to the discussion at the time.
Theoretically, finding ways to cut down on energy costs is a definite must but not with these guys. When I read $400 million project and it being “managed” by those thugs I fall on my knees and pray for mercy on Dominica.
The project will fail entirely or fail to reduce costs to the consumer but the money will be spent and pocketed and Dominicans left to pay the $400 million PLUS the still high costs of electricity.
Already $30 million has been spent. THIRTY million dollars for this poor, brokes, going nowhere, island and the project is on the brink of extinction.
How did this happen????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THIRTY million dollars and those thugs let the project reach this crisis stage??????????!!!!!!!!!!!
I do not trust these thugs to manage $1 far less. You people need to wake up and fire them then jail them.
plenty power to more people
Just sell the island to China PM, as if you haven’t already.
Why sell it ? Just hand it over Mon Cher!
Do it secretly so we don’t find out just like Your wedding
If a 15 Megawatt plant is enough for domestic use, whom are they going to sell this massive surplus to? The only logical export customers for us would be Guadeloupe and Martinique where EDF are the sole supplier of electricity. EDF have already pulled out of financing our geothermal development. They may, or may not buy our electricity should we eventually develop this source but there is no guarantee or compulsion to do so, especially since the French have signed up to the natural gas pipeline from Trinidad, which has a plentiful supply of this clean fuel. Who is going to put their money into a project for energy for which there may be no customer, let alone a guaranteed return? Why this insistnec on going ahead regardless instead of cutting our losses now?
Skerrit must tell Dominicans the truth. The delegation which left Dominica in search of assistance for the financing of the Geothermal Plant has come back with an empty red bowl.According to the headlines on DNO, AFD was to Finance the geothermal Plant, now we are told AFD is to negotiate on our behalf $1.1 million for geothermal technical assistance. No specifications are made as regards wether it is going to be a loan or grant. The joke continues,a meeting is going to be held with certain financiers to underwrite the $400 million facility. Skerrit must be honest,the meeting in France was a failure, and in my opinion was to push his re election bid, which is now in limbo.He is now hoping the Chinese will bail him out. Dominicans must understand if China was to finance this project, we will pay a heavy price in the future, just ask the people of Tibet.
Does every country go through all this talk before seeing a project is launched and brought to fruition? Just get it done already.
More Power to the People.
China is desperate for energy in their country….some way some how they have ulterior motives and if you belive the PM when he says this will benefit the people of DA ( lower energy costs, jobs etc) I would think twice. They also need your water. DA needs China’s help no doubt to advance into the 21st century but to what cost? What will their role in this project?The air and water in China are horribly polluted. Who or what governing body is going to ensure that enviromentally safe processes and regulations will be mandated for this project in the beautiful nature isle before this project even begins and regulated once it begins?
If the government was smart they would give the residential wind turbines and solar systems to all residents of DA to address it’s energy needs instead of risking such a project whose costs may or may not be beneficial to the island. It sure wouldn’t be as expensive!
Talk about ulterior motives? China employs a strategy as follows:
:::Shower these developing countries with unlimited funds which they can’t pay back. Then bargain with them for legal control of their land and its resources in lieu of loan repayment:::
I suspect that was part of the MOU with China we Dominicans have yet to see. In other words, it is quite likely that Skerrit has sold Dominica to the Chinese. Mark my word…
I am particularly concerned about our WATER resources.
Agree with you just see what they are doing to the Africans in Africa, reaping all their resources spending all that money in Dominica is no for free, there’s a catch to it
Perfect example of what they are doing in Africa, all the bad things them Chinese are doing
Africans are far from being steamrollered. Their governments have shown a surprising assertiveness. The first person to be expelled from Africa’s youngest country, South Sudan, was a Chinese: Liu Yingcai, the local head of Petrodar, a Chinese-Malaysian oil company and the government’s biggest customer, in connection with an alleged $815m oil “theft”. Congo kicked out two rogue commodities traders in the Kivu region. Algerian courts have banned two Chinese firms from participating in a public tender, alleging corruption. Gabonese officials ditched an unfavourable resource deal. Kenyan and South African conservationists are asking China to stop the trade in ivory and rhino horn.
All that stream coming from the ground is condensing and falling as rain. Since this thing start, only rain in the valley. Everyday is rain!! De place just get damp and pia.
So that’s what brought the tropical dipression also, right? moron
OH MY GOD!!! NOT THE CHINESE AGAIN!!!!!?
Energy cost is the biggest strain on the worlds economies. Countries who have no natural sources get the biggest blows. This is an energy source we have. Why the government doing all in their powers is wrong? Trust me, I hate the modified airport, but if tourists have no outlets to go besides the natural beauty and not enough hotels we cannot justify a major airport. There is still much more to be desired in out tourist package. Businesses refuse to paint or remodel old buildings and have them in better standards. Just saying!
This place will never be a tourist haven……and for many reasons.
While we there going back and forth and demonstrating other island in the OECS are movin forward.
St. Kitts just opened a Solar Manufacturing Plant aimed at improving and reducing their reliance on fossil fuel and movin towards a green economy….
May nu sot we! Jah!
Ummmm look up ‘green economy’….then look up the environmental impacts of harnessing solar energy and then environmental impacts of harnessing geothermal energy. Not because it is an alternative form of energy that harnessing it would foster moving towards a ‘green economy’. Please, educate yourself or you will fall for anything rather than stand for something.
All I can say is this is madness! This 400 million USD does not take into consideration the cost of building the transmission infrastructure to get the power exported which will cost an additional 300 million USD (in 2005 the estimated cost for the HVDC transmission was 200 million EUROs – study was done by AFD – the cost of copper has gone up so it is likely to be more expensive today). Add to that the operation and maintenance cost of submerge transmission lines in our environment. So little Dominica is looking at one BILLION USD investment in energy. This is madness to say the least. When you put the environmental impact and societal cost of this project(I should say IDEA since this is not a project) together I just don’t see how this is going to materialize. As a matter of fact I think the PM is just letting the world know how clueless his administration is with regards to geothermal power development – and that is after they claim to have spent an excess of 30 million dollars on geothermal activities.
Dominica is peak power demand is approximately 15MW. That is smaller demand than many of the university campuses in the US. You could use less than 400 million USD to build a robust microgrid in Dominica which would use wind, solar, hydro, energy storage(pump hydro, thermal, battery) along with energy efficiency measures and make Dominica a model island for the rest of the world to see. This would also trigger Science, Technology, Engineering and Math opportunities for our bright up and coming students. If these energy advisers /engineers were competent in they would see this as the way forward. From where I sit I think we have thrown 30 plus million dollars down the tube and we are on course to throw some more away on this geothermal idea. WHERE IS THE VISION
I think the Dominica State College should have a program in place to provide the research and analysis that is required for the development of such projects in Dominica. Has the gov’t done a life cycle analysis on this geothermal project? Have they compared this development with other renewable energy technologies or are they waiting for EMERA and Collin Cover to tell them what they should be pursuing. With all the vacant land we have in DA we can put up two 1.5 MW solar plant, two 3MW wind farms, upgrade our hydro to make them more efficient, use the waste heat from the thermal power plants in fond cole to generate an additional 1 mw of power and look at local biomass and biofuel production to clean up our generating fuel mix and resolve DA energy problems.
They don’t care about being practical. They are hell bent on destroying this place and selling it out for money in their pockets that they think will put them on easy street. They will find out differently.
YES Prime Minister,sixty months is FIVE YEARS ???
PHDs take at least another five years from scratch.
Welcome to our friends from CHINA with an open cheque book.
My people why our government hasnt made the same effortto get the funds to build an Internation Airport,Trust me Dominica will not advance without an internation airport,the reason why you are behind our government never had a good plan,All develop countrys have an international airport. We need investors to come in our shores ,Theirs nothing to attract them once they realize no internation airport to them is gonna be a hassle to visit Dominica.
Maintenance brother!Building it is one phase but maintenaning is another.
DAHMAN Investors will not come if their basic cost needed for production is too high…… Have an International airport and cannot pay the cost of electricity to run it effectively is a waste of time!!!
If an investor worth his salt and is interested in investing here he will first look at the cost of doing business not how easy it is to access the country, he will fly in on a chartered airline if he has to!!!
Think about it, which is more important now? Lower electricity or an International Airport?
I dont know where you live but we on the island vote for LOWER ELECTRICITY, we will do our own investment from our savings!!!!
Geothermal won’t cost you less. It will cost you more. Financing the project means more debt that this island can’t pay. Therefore the project is repossessed……just like you do a new car that you can’t make payments on.
Where do you think the govt. is going to TRY to get the money to pay the interest on this loan? From anyone that is getting their electricity from it and the rates will be higher than Domlec…….a lot higher. Notice that the PM doesn’t tell you what the interest rate is or how he is going to pay that debt on top of all the rest.
40 million ………you have VERY high payments……and this island produces next to nothing ….except money extraction by the govt. in various forms.
Joe, you present it as if we have to make a choice between the two, either or. That is a psychological hogwash, just like saying “who else but Skerrit” in the mode of Barabas v. Jesus. It is obvious that ease of access and cheaper electricity are equally important so we should promote both.
BTW why you think so many European and American companies went to China?? Is it because China has more international airports than them or is it because the cost of production was cheaper there???
Just asking!!! I see us as the Production hob once we achieve our geothermal goal!!!
PM I am 1M% with you on this one!!!!
You are contradicting yourself. If, as you say the costs of production are lower in China why should such companies come to Dominica instead? For a start our energy costs would have to be lower than China’s, not to mention labour,raw materials, transport costs etc.
Amen. If they can raise that amount of money from donors, then I might just live long enough to see an international airport in my lifetime.
if they really care and want to help us without borrowing to the bone just remove VAT from our electric bills deeeer
twisted: 
they agree electric price is ridiculous so just remove vat on it and give us a well needed break…..breaking news dominica for sale,piece by piece
My fellow Dominicans take note election is around the corner so they looking for every nonesence to fool the people of this country tell Skerrit not again his time has run out, he make us poorer than ever he cannot come with his 500 dollars anymore our eyes wide open so he coming with that because he knows how much we suffering under domlec so he coming now to play on our mind well we waiting for you, CHANGE IS NOT AN OPTION IT IS A MUST, for we the people of this country.
Get out and vote this time.
what about the cheaper petrol with petrocarib?Every year before election everything becoming cheaper but after 3mths everything change. why mr skeritt u taking advantage of the people fickleness and ignorance? jah will humble you. look out its coming.
Boy, them man dere desperate…u see how tings hard and is our hills and rivers tht saving us, tht geo will distroy our environment…cheaper electricity, 400 million dollar project, hmmm…all u can say what all u want i jus want tht govt to come out there…right
second that we what him to go amen
God gave Dominica a talent to use and improve he gave us this resource for our advantage. Thank you lord for this. We urged the government to go into geo and now it is destroying our island? You. Want take the pm as a counuomounoo? Make. U
Your minds, whatever he does is a.ways not good enough for an u grate full nation of vipers.
Although we were promise cheaper prices under an agreement from a friendly country should we hope for the same? AM A BELIEVER!
They ARE cheaper!! Have you any idea how much they would really have been otherwise???
there is no way on Gods green earth… this project can cost under 400 million USD for a “120 MW plant” Mr. skerrit, you are a Mad man..
wow wow wow, how foolish can some people get, do you have any idea what is a 120 megawatt plant!?!
please tell us
So much debt and no international airport. U fellas upside down, u putting a state palace before an international airport.
That is good news if the larger plant is successful and on completion of the smaller plant. Domestic as well as business cost would be reduced, and hopefully the reduced energy cost to business can be passed on to their customers in the way of reduced fees, reduced cost of goods and services. Making Dominica more competitive among the Eastern Caribbean States.
***ONLY GOD KNOWS***
He stated that based on projections and studies, the price of electricity could go down as low as $0.10 per kilo watt hour.
“We believe that this could create a platform for the uptake of our economy,” Blackmoore said.
……………………
We welcome the eventual reality of this project. Only GOD knows whenever that will be!!
Because the government certainly has no idea or even a close estimate when that will be
There has been just “TOO MUCH TALK” on this project but very little real action.
The governments “trumpets” the benefits but they seem not too aggressive enough in getting down to work!!
-Thanks
“There has been too much talk on this project but very little action”. If spending upwards of 30 million dollars to do the exploration to include the drilling three exploratory wells in the project area within a three year span is simply “talk”, I wonder what else will please the blogger. Common, are you saying that you would have made more advances?
I agree totally with Observer. Lots of knowledge has been gatherd and experience gained through the exploration phase. People would not be talking about building a geothermal power plant except now they know there is a resource to be harnessed.
Dominicans are champions of “talk.”
Blogger – a person who keeps and updates a blog
…..smh, figure out what the word means prior to use.
Trueman, obviously you dont live on island and therefore is not expose to the many deevelopment thus far!!!
The opposition UWP said lets go Hyfro way instead, a small insignificant group tried their utmost to halt the drilling of the wells…. and fyi, we have already done test wells which resulted positively.
There is also a EIA posted on the government website if you have the time you can read the 470 page document, and finally $33M has already been spent on this project.
So what you are reading now is the final nails to get the Plants going by 2015.
I for one cannot wait hoorah!!!!
Let me inform you that in a democracy, no group, however small is insignificant.
And you believe Blackmore and Skerrit??