Dominica reiterates financial commitment to transformative geothermal project

Flow testing of RV-P2 production well at Roseau Valley, Dominica geothermal project (source: YouTube screenshot, DGDC)

The Government of Dominica will continue to provide financial support to the ongoing development of the geothermal project in Roseau Valley for the upcoming fiscal year. This support will now shift focus on two major milestones – the construction of the geothermal power plant, and building a new high-capacity transmission network.

During this year’s budget deliberations, Finance Minister Dr Irving McIntyre described the geothermal project as a “transformative effort” for the Government of Dominica and an important step in the fulfillment of the nation’s resiliency goals.

The geothermal project in Roseau Valley, being developed by the Dominica Geothermal Development Company, aims to provide a capacity of 10 MW of geothermal power generation. We have reported extensively on this project since the initial plans were announced in 2009 and the initial drilling results in 2012.

The project has since seen the completion of flow testing for its production wells and the signing of a Framework Agreement for the production of green hydrogen.

According to Dr McIntyre, the geothermal project fulfills three critical objectives that will spur the economic growth of Dominica:

• The reduction of the cost of electricity in Dominica;
• The generation of 100% of electricity requirements from renewable sources;
• The generation of new commercial activity based on the abundance of geothermal resources.

The Finance Minister also emphasized the importance of developing a skilled workforce so that the local professionals can contribute in the ongoing development of the nation’s energy infrastructure. To this end, local professionals have benefited from different training opportunities such as internships during drilling operations and 6-month training programs in Iceland.

“We acknowledge that this has been a long journey, but this Government has remained committed to this project because we understand the long-term, permanent and positive impact the fully commissioned geothermal plant will have on the cost of doing business, on the electricity bills of consumers, and the huge potential for attracting foreign direct investment because of the reduction in the cost of energy,” said Dr Irving McIntyre.

Source: Associates Times