New Zealand invests in Dominica’s exploration of geothermal energy

Foreign Minister Baron with  New Zealand's Murray McCully
Foreign Minister Baron with New Zealand’s Murray McCully

The Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica and the Government of New Zealand expanded their cooperation in geothermal energy development with the signing of a NZ$ 2.05 million (US$ 1.5 million/EC$ 4 million) Partnership Agreement to support the construction of a 7 MW geothermal power plant in Dominica.

The agreement was signed between the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Francine Baron of Dominica and Hon. Murray McCully of New Zealand.

Since 2014, the Government of New Zealand has been providing the Government of Dominica with Technical Assistance for the development of Dominica’s geothermal resources.

The new Partnership will expand the technical assistance and be based on an implementation timeframe of 2016 to 2019. It will include:

• Technical advice for the front end engineering and design;
• Project management support to help progress the Project through tendering and award of contracts so that construction can commence;
• An Environmental and Social Impact Assessment, Management Plan and Management System; and
• A project manager, to be seconded into the Dominica Geothermal Company to coordinate all activities to execute the Project for a period of up to 24 months once the EPC contract has been signed, commencing in 2017 and concluding in 2019.

The assistance from the Government of New Zealand will provide the Government of Dominica with the technical expertise required to realize the construction of the 7 MW geothermal power plant to be commissioned in 2019.

The Government of the Commonwealth of Dominica expresses its profound gratitude to the Government of New Zealand for providing critical support to Dominica’s geothermal development efforts and in the country’s economic development.

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26 Comments

  1. dee
    September 25, 2016

    ahhhhh
    margway sar , i thought we were already operating de geo thermal plant wee
    from de way dese election bandits used to talk i thought exploration was around the corner
    but why we sort so nah .
    is best dey had contracted de Screws pardner , at least we may well have had hot water in our bathrooms .
    i not falling for it this time round
    Zandoli taking off to another forest .

  2. FORKIT
    September 25, 2016

    that reminds me of the u.s government giving us 3 million to build a coast guard base in possie… but the money seem to get stuck in the wire, get it wire transfer,,, lol… because it cannot be built, so i am asuming the money got stuck in the wire. so dominicans don’t blame scarit. blame the WIRE

  3. Dante Jones
    September 23, 2016

    Sooo we went from a 200 MW plant that would supply energy to Guadeloupe and Martenique to a 20 MW plant to 7 MW over what like over a 6 year period of constant pushing back of the date (the exact ETAs escape my memory at the moment). On top of that the funds being commissioned now include the covering of the cost of doing an EIA – wasn’t that already done? And a project manager to oversee the project for the 2017 – 2019 period. So how has this project been progressing all this time – without a PM? Wow all this is quite perplexing. I still have hope though even if we end up with a 5 MW plant in 2020 it will still be a boost to our economy. Hopefully we don’t waste more capital than we could regain in benefits from implementing the project

  4. UDOHREADYET
    September 23, 2016

    That’s a great partnership! New Zealand has the largest boiling lake in the world and Dominica has the second largest!
    Dominica has a lot more in common where geothermal energy is concerned with New Zealand than the other Caribbean Islands.
    We have over 9 volcanoes whereas other Islands have only 1.

    • Tjebe fort
      September 24, 2016

      Hmm partner, is that why you are so explosive and emit noxious fumes??

  5. Cyril Volney
    September 23, 2016

    Positive news indeed. Thank you, New Zealand.

  6. FORKIT
    September 23, 2016

    them whiteman just throw their money,, that not enough for those fellars so called legal fees

    • UDOHREADYET
      September 23, 2016

      ignorance is bliss where you’re concerned!
      Read more books!

      • FORKIT
        September 25, 2016

        i don’t think you read more than I do with all these asinine comments you spew all over DNO… for your information, didn’t a certain lawyer legal fees was over 2 million E.C dollars for the geothermal exploration sometime ago… i am wondering who is that lawyer and his affiliates…
        do you need the document?. IDIOT

  7. Dominican
    September 23, 2016

    Was that signed here or in New York?

  8. Freelance
    September 23, 2016

    Emmmh so I guess all the niceties of the pass was not true. What happen to the French and the European Union investments . We were told that they were most impressed with Dominicas geothermal resource and we were going to be model to the rest of the world. We will be having many investors etcetc. We were even going to supply Martinique and Guadeloupe and so on. Now we hearing about a mere 7 mega plant. So where has all the grand plans for geothermal gone? Remember Ambassador Aron at the Dominica State College debate against Joshau Francis boasting that the driver of the economy going forward would be geothermal energy. What has happened? Where are the returns on the over 60 million already spent? All talk was geothermal apparently now we hearing our saviour will be 5 Star hotels to be built all over the place while recent figures released yesterday by the CTO suggest Dominica s stay over did worst among the OCES again. Garcon Domicien bein sort !! Haha.

    • Freelance
      September 23, 2016

      But we “like it! we really like it! We really really like it! We love to be fouled by politicians we are just not a serious people. I can tell you we are the laughing stock of the region and the world and sad thing about it we seem to be proud of our stupidity. Example When a newly appointed ambassador to the UN in her maiden address to this august body can refer to her leader with an honorary doctorate as Doctor Skerrit what else can be said. What a country.

      • Tjebe fort
        September 24, 2016

        Well, she wants it so. Not all doctors are healers, remember Dr. Duvalier of Haiti, better known as Papa Doc? May be Skerrit wants to model himself on him?

  9. Michael Norris
    September 22, 2016

    Thanks to the Government of New Zealand for their continued support to Dominica’s geothermal energy project. With this most recent assistance, the generation of geothermal power will hopefully move forward to becoming a reality.

  10. B VIDAL
    September 22, 2016

    my dear DOMINICAN we has the most invisible development in world we has the most GEOTHERMAL PLANT WE HAS THE MOST HOSPITAL AND THE MOST HIGHWAY AND THE MOST INT AIRPORT AND THE POCKETITION GOD HELP US,

    • UDOHREADYET
      September 23, 2016

      yeah sot, maybe you have magic powers to blink your eyes and build your house in 1 day!
      what have you done lately for your country?

  11. y election again so people of doninica
    September 22, 2016

    Inspite of you all negertive thoughts attitude and comments dominica under God will make serious progress like it or not period.

    • Driver
      September 25, 2016

      It is amazing how much our people don’t want the country to progress.

  12. September 22, 2016

    At least after $65 millions spent, there may be some hope and its only because I got some faith in the NZ government :-D

  13. Anthony P. Isamel
    September 22, 2016

    I hope no monies were actually transferred and they will be providing their own technical experts. There is no transparency with these jokers. We were supposed to be selling geothermal energy to Martinique. So much for that promise. This is nothing more than another white elephant project like the hotel in the swamp from Morocco that cannot finish jis jordy.

  14. LifeandDeath
    September 22, 2016

    Thanks to the Gov’t of New Zealand. Dominicans must be inclined to be grateful mostly for the technical expertise and hopefully, the transfer of knowledge that will come with the realization of this project.

    We hope that monies granted by NZ under this project will only be complementary to what the Gov’t of Dominica itself will provide, because as we heard clearly from the last Budget statement from the PM, Dominica seems to have enough millions from the CBI program..
    These monies should be invested in sustainable projects like this one, which will go a long way to have a positive effect on the cost of electricity thereby creating a more favorable environment for would be investors in the Nature Isle.
    Dominicans; starting with which ever Gov’t in power, must be seen to take full responsibility in doing the best they can to Develop Dominica long term. Move away from one-sided party policies..Put the people first!!

    • Hopeful Dreamer
      September 23, 2016

      You are one hopeful dreamer! The Skerritt regime has already sold us out. There is no turning back. The Paris Treaty signed with the UN recently effectively brings the UN’s Agenda21 into being. This means that as from now, Dominica is 100% governed by a body, the UN, which we did not elect.

      That body, the UN, and its Agenda21 is based on the Club of Rome’s report which recommends that the climate change hoax is to be used to bring about a one world government and the massive depopulation programs advocated in it. They need to get the world down to 500 million from around 7 billion (as it is currently) so that life on earth can be ‘sustainable’. Funny!

      Here is the UN’s Agenda21 in all its glory: http://whatisagenda21.net/agenda21.htm

    • UDOHREADYET
      September 23, 2016

      New Zealand and Dominica are the only two countries in the world with boiling lakes! in terms of geography Dominica and New Zealand have a lot in common. its a good partnership.

  15. street side
    September 22, 2016

    not holding my hopes high at all..the budgeted figure is a joke——-

    honestly everything is regime has tried, has failed miserably in my view—–

    2019…eh huh…..election time to trick their ignorant base as usual….

    wonder if God will help Dominicans, honestly i don’t think so, as they refuse to help themselves as a society…they fail to see it’s tricks and deceptive motions this labor regime is using to keep them aroused…..

    but it’s dominica they are not known for having the mantle to be a leading island in anything….pretty much a droll, lack luster type of society….low wages, ministers boasting with pride a welfare island……

    Dominica just is a unique island in everything there is always some type of place whereby the dust is what the citizens play with…..that’s Dominica in high color for u..

    • Driver
      September 25, 2016

      Dominicans have failed themselves by not taking themselves and their island seriously. We seem not to be prepared to do the hard work that true development entails. We did not listen to Freedom, we kicked out Workers and now we say that Labour is no good. Maybe we are the ones who are no good because we do not want to live with what we have and within or means, and expect the Govt. to do it. Is we self!!!!

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