Geothermal project moves to next level

Geothermal drilling equipment in Dominica
Geothermal drilling equipment in Dominica

Dominica’s drive to become the first carbon negative economy in the hemisphere by developing geothermal energy, has moved to another level.

Commencement of the drilling of the first production and re-injection well in the Roseau Valley has begun.

A Geothermal re-injection well is a well which has been constructed to dispose of geothermal fluids derived from geothermal resources, into an underground reservoir. r.

During his National Day address on November 3, prime minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, had said drilling would commence within a week.

“This is a precursor to the construction of a small geothermal plant of 15 to 20 megawatts, for supplying electricity to the local market. The plant is expected to be operational by the end of 2015, and consumers can expect to see an initial drop of about 30 per cent in their electricity bills,” he said.

At a meeting on Tuesday night residents of Trafalgar got the opportunity to hear the results of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) on the project.

According to Parliamentary Representative for the Roseau Valley constituency, Dr Collin McIntyre, the meeting is a part of government’s promise to keep the people updated as the project progresses.

McIntyre described the EIA as essential.

“It’s a baseline study in terms of what you have and if there are any changes, then you can know. You must know what you have to know what you are losing. We don’t expect any negative to come from that since the well in Trafalgar is a re-injection well,” he said.

He pointed out further that the geothermal project in Dominica is one which will adopt the best practices.

Following the meeting in Trafalgar, another one will be held in Laudat on Wednesday night.

The Government of Dominica has been commended on its geothermal program so far. At a Geothermal Development Partners Forum held from September 26 to 27, development partners pledged their support for further advancement of the project.

Government has invested over $31-million in exploring the island’s geothermal potential.

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27 Comments

  1. Peter Azille, Sr.
    November 19, 2013

    Dear Mr. Editor,
    No forward-thinking Dominican should discourage the development of Dominica’s geothermal potential for the generation of electricity,particularly if the project is well conceived, properly implemented, well managed, and the resources which it will generate, properly utilized for the welfare of the Dominican people. However, it is ludicrous to claim that such a project will make Dominica the “first carbon negative economy in the hemisphere by developing geothermal energy”. Most of the carbon in the atmosphere comes from gasoline and diesel powered vehicles. Is there a workable preposition that will make vehicles in Dominica run on geothermal energy?
    Then let us refrain from making our fair country look more ridiculous than it is already made to look.
    Thanks!

  2. CITIZEN
    November 14, 2013

    Very Good Move Labour. I can see a Governmentthat is working and continues to work. The Geothermal project will attract international business and create more jobs. UWP dosent have the potential to continue technical works such as this. If we areto move forward, it has to be with labor.

  3. Gulfstream
    November 14, 2013

    Please be guided that no country can be carbon negative.. the preferred terminology is “carbon neutral” and this Dominica will attain by 2020 with the introduction of geothermal energy as a mix to its energy portfolio.

  4. Anonymous
    November 14, 2013

    If someone, anyone can show me any evidence of a fully black controlled country doing well/rich with cooperation and unity and all benifits to it’s people, then and only then, I will believe that Dominica as a black majority and controlled country will ever do well. Dream on people!!!!!!!

  5. Anonymous
    November 13, 2013

    Thanks Square Pants for sharing a WONDERFUL LINK…I too read from the article entitled Role and Management of geothermal re-injection which was presented by Gudni Axelsson at a “Short Course on Geothermal Development and Geothermal Wells”,organized by UNU-GTP and LaGeo, in Santa Tecla, El Salvador,March 11-17, 2012… From what I read, and I encourage us all to read a few paragraphs (just 21 pages)… we nah ready for no geothermal PRODUCTION by 2015… There is A LOT OF SCIENTIFIC TESTING to be conducted (BESIDES THE EIA) and the models developed in order to come up with the right production design!!!! Politicians CANNOT make that some sensational 2015 electricity dream. As an infant in this industry we must know how to creep before we stand and walk!!! If we fall we nah getting up!!!

    According to Axelsson (2012)”cooling of production wells is one of the problems/obstacles associated with reinjection, even though only a few examples of actual cold-front breakthrough have been recorded. In cases where the spacing between injection and production wells is small, and direct flow-paths between the two wells exist, the fear of thermal breakthrough has been justified. There are FIVE known reinjection options and which option is used depends on the main purpose of the reinjection.. POINT No.1 According to this expert “This danger can be minimised through careful TESTING and RESEARCH.”

    The Author further highlights a problem/obstacle which is of critical importance to Dominica…
    “Silica scaling in surface pipelines and injection wells in high-temperature geothermal fields.” POINT No.2. “The problem of silica scaling may be avoided, in most cases, by proper system design. But most importantly… it calls for preventive measures such as deposition of silica in ponds/lagoons or by special treatment such as with scale inhibitors, mainly aimed at pH lowering.” EIA needed on these preventative measures.

    So as open minded as I am , I ask myself are we critically addressing these issues through FUNDED research (because it taking A LOT OF MONEY! probably more than 31)or are we in a rush to get there by any means necessary. Get to the link!!!

    http://www.os.is/gogn/unu-gtp-sc/UNU-GTP-SC-14-29.pdf

    • zulu
      November 13, 2013

      @ anonymous. I can answer your last question. This Gov is in a rush so they can use for votes and to claim we are first. (Self fullfiling)
      Nothing wrong with developing our geothermal resource, however due to how small our island is and how fragile our ecosystem is, maximun care, planning, and safeguards must be in place the entire process. This is a risky investment from start and since so much of tax payers money is already spent i only pray it is succesfull.
      Such projects are normally done by huge private companies who have lots of capital and income to cover expenses or losses. Right now the gov does not have a choice but to complete this project cause they unwisely spent 31 milion ib the exploratory phase. Who knows it may be more.

  6. Nmc
    November 13, 2013

    The People of Roseau Valley must ask their Parl Rep and the Government to answer those important questions. Will the Roseau Valley remain the Prime Tourism destination in Dominica with Geothermal generation? Will Geothermal produce more jobs for the people than Tourism? Is geothermal more environmental sustainable than Tourism. What are the risk factors to the people’s health and safety as a result of the Geothermal Project.Is there an evacuation Plan in event of a disaster?Will the people be compensated promptly and adequately for land acquired for the geothermal Project?

  7. zulu
    November 13, 2013

    The track record of the DLP has been one of mismanagement and lies. We owe petrocarib millions. They keep focusing on being the first to do this and that etc. Dominica has a lager geothermal resource than all the other islands so its only natural. Its all about self fullfilling legacy.

    However i think geothermal is a good way to go because i believe in effective use and management of our God given natural resources for the development of the country. Furthermore 31 million of tax payers money has already been invested in exploration which was risky and i would love to see the returns materialize for the sake of the tax payers of our country

  8. 4u2c
    November 13, 2013

    I can bet my last dollar at the end of this project if DLP still in government the people will see little benefit off their bills. These guys will find a reason to keep Dominicans hostage and give a bogus excuse why the bill has to stay as is. Check Petro Craibe – Gas still high; What about the coffee plant; no coffee farmers still waiting; These guys a super jokers..Not sure if they know their elbow from their knees

    • banan
      November 14, 2013

      and to add to your point;by that time,the cost of living will be way up there,it will not make a diffrence;salries will not rise as much as the cost of living,so all that talk is, PIE IN THE SKY.

    • NYny
      November 14, 2013

      Hope you come on dno and apologize when you lose that bet.

  9. him i am
    November 13, 2013

    all u wpp supporters think i wanna stay poor all my life and dominica stays behind no way. good job labour.

    • the sage
      November 14, 2013

      poverty is not a matter of ho much money one has but rather the wealth of knowledge and will that they possess.

    • banan
      November 14, 2013

      hellow? HELLOW! HELLOW!him i am; wake up my man,you sleeping man?OH SORRY, i diden’t realise it’s you,sorry i forget you are one of the BIG BOYS in DLP.btw i am non alliance.

  10. Sunny Boy
    November 13, 2013

    8) ……ban that 8-O “#*+q*++” :-x from the NATURE ISLE….

  11. derp
    November 13, 2013

    (Dominica’s drive to become the first carbon negative economy in the hemisphere by developing geothermal energy…)
    An economy will never be carbon negative unless it stops using fossil fuels and such… in other words no gas for your cars ovens etc…. so that statement is heavily politicized.

    • hmm
      November 13, 2013

      Uneducated comment….if you have enough trees, small enough population then your natural environment can counter a limited amount of carbon emissions leading to a carbon negative status

      • tsk
        November 13, 2013

        Even more of an uneducated comment. Dominica is already a carbon negative country. That being said, the lower cost of electricity and the possibility of exporting electricity would be great achievements

  12. #BeHonest
    November 13, 2013

    Smh. MORE LIES!

  13. Square Pants
    November 13, 2013

    What is a Re-injection Geothermal Well? For those interested here is an excerpt from the leaders in Geothermal energy – United Nations University, Iceland.

    The article is a must read especially for those interested in the environmental impact of the geothermal plant to Laudat, the Roseau Valley, and to Dominica on a whole.

    “1. INTRODUCTION
    Geothermal reinjection involves returning some, or even all, of the water produced from a geothermal reservoir back into the geothermal system, after energy has been extracted from the water. In some instances water of a different origin is even injected into geothermal reservoirs. Reinjection started out as a method of waste-water disposal in a few geothermal operations but it has slowly become more and more widespread in later years. By now reinjection is considered an important part of comprehensive geothermal resource management as well as an essential part of sustainable and
    environmentally friendly geothermal utilisation.”

    The full pdf article can be read at:

    http://www.os.is/gogn/unu-gtp-sc/UNU-GTP-SC-14-29.pdf

  14. Vanya
    November 13, 2013

    This is being used as a Political tool to trap folks who don’t understand or know how things roll..

    It must be stated that this Geothermal will bear fruit “Hopefully” in the next 4-6 years, it’s not a quick fix.

    Production and Distribution isn’t something that’s done in a few days…numerous factors have to be studied and overcome before things pan out…

    So hyping on the society believing that by 2015 they will see reduction in customers bills is in Fact not true!!

    Everything is being rushed and flushed into the Public faces to convince the electorate to vote em in again…

    But the facts are on the wall money is not circulating in the economy due to lack of vision By this regime…

    Has a expert given the assurance to the Public how the will see the reductions, how will the company get regain the millions spent..knowing that the economy is “DEAD” and Population is low..

    Dominicans must remember the hype of Petro-Caribe How they blazed away about paying less for bills..

    What happened…haha they trapped the funds for Political gain to “catch a vote”

    But it’s on the wall…Dominica is in fact the Poorest in the Caribbean, don’t be surprise the investors at that project pull out sooner than later while reading the status of affairs in Dominica…

    The truth offends…

    • ??
      November 13, 2013

      Which is more believable? Geothermal in 2015 or 5000 jobs in three Years? You haters are just unbelievable. I will put my money on the geothermal which is under construction.

      • Child of Mahaut
        November 13, 2013

        What an observation. Some of us believe without qyestion or a second thought that even in the wake of an going recession in the world’s financial market, a self confessed novice leader, untrained in any economic production development field can deliver 5,000 jobs in a small island economically dependent state and at the same time grow the economy by 7% when the international trends say otherwise.

        On the other hand, we doubt hands down any government attempt to develop a truly renewable product. After all, government has expended more than 31 million dollars over more than threee years of work exploring the industry. Government has contracted the experts in the field to advise and do the work. So much for wanting development in the Nature Isle.

      • the sage
        November 14, 2013

        Who’s the more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him? fool

  15. Ian
    November 13, 2013

    One of the components that will surely invite Foreign and Local investors. A way forward. :wink:

  16. Anonymous
    November 13, 2013

    this is indeed good news. God bless the government of Dominica for continuing their great work.

  17. De Original Met Yo
    November 13, 2013

    next level accor!?

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