June 15 (Renewables Now) – The Caribbean island nation of Dominica expects to celebrate the completion of a 7-MW geothermal power plant in the Rosseau Valley area by the end of 2023.

Vince Henderson, Dominica’s Minister for Planning, Economic Development, Climate Resilience, Sustainable Development and Renewable Energy, has recently confirmed the progress at the project site and reiterated that completion will take around 18 months.

Geothermal power station. Featured Image: N.Minton/Shutterstock.com

The Dominica Geothermal Development Company Ltd (DGDC) is building a binary cycle power plant, which, while more costly than alternative models, is considered to be the most environmentally friendly.

The project is financed by a USD-17.2-million (EUR 16.4m) credit from the International Development Association (IDA), USD 9.95 million from the Clean Technology Fund (CTF), as well as with grants from the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) – USD 10 million from DFID and USD 2 million from the SIDS DOCK Initiative.

The Commonwealth of Dominica has set a target to become the first climate-resilient country in the world by 2030. At present, though, its small power system relies heavily on diesel to generate power and the average electricity price on the island is among the highest globally. About 28% of Dominica’s energy requirements are currently met from renewables such as hydropower and wind. The geothermal risk mitigation project should lower electricity costs and boost the share of renewable energy.

The government hopes to be able to supply 23,000 homes with geothermal energy, which represents some 90% of the entire population, and to also export electricity to the French islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique.

(USD 1.0 = EUR 0.954)

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