Montserrat Stands to Receive Help on it's Geothermal Development Journey

Montserrat is aiming to capitalize on an initiative Being mounted by the Government of New Zealand and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission. 

They have strengthened their collaboration on environmental sustainability to include the area of geothermal energy development.

New Zealand and the OECS Commission will partner to deliver a study on possible opportunities for the direct use of geothermal energy outside of electricity generation across Montserrat and other OECS Member states. 

Worldwide, the successful use of geothermal energy for thermal purposes can be found in the industrial, agricultural, aquacultural and tourism sectors.

This collaboration will seek to provide a resource for OECS policy-makers on opportunities for development and to conceptualize pilot projects, identifying the resources required to advance them. 

New Zealand High Commissioner His Excellency Anton Ojala says New Zealand is pleased to be once again working with the OECS Commission….explaining that since 2014, New Zealand has been working with Caribbean Governments to advance renewable energy projects.

Ojala notes that Geothermal energy has real potential to lower energy costs in Montserrat and other OECS Member States, and reduce the reliance on imported fossil fuels, but also to directly provide innovative, environmentally friendly solutions and products while also cutting greenhouse gas emissions.  

Director General of the OECS, Dr. Didacus Jules, welcomes this most recent partnership with the Government of New Zealand which focuses on the direct use of geothermal energy. 

In common with the most of the Eastern Caribbean, Montserrat has high electricity generation costs of up to US$ 0.50 per kWh due to the use of diesel-powered generation plants. 

These high costs use up valuable foreign exchange and reduce the competitiveness of local institutions and business entities. 

The government of Montserrat (GoM) with the assistance of the Department for International Development (DFID) is currently pursuing the development of geothermal energy which is expected to bring down the cost of electricity generation.