Dominica completes drilling for 15-MW geothermal project - report

Mar 12, 2014 - The Caribbean state of Dominica has completed drilling the production wells for an up to 15 MW geothermal power plant, energy minister Rayburn Blackmoore told GIS News on Monday.

The next step will be to shut down the 1,500 m (5,000 ft) deep wells for a period of 12 weeks in order to monitor heat generation. The expected fluid temperature of 235 degrees Celsius (455 degrees Fahrenheit) by far exceed the 180 degrees required to generate power, Blackmoore added.

The island state seeks to commission a small facility with a capacity of between 10 MW and 15 MW. Construction works on the plant are seen to be completed by 2015.

The government aims to harness geothermal power as an affordable energy source as the current cost of electricity in Dominica is one of the most expensive in the Caribbean, at XCD1.17 (USD0.43/EUR0.31) per kWh.

(XCD 1.000 = USD 0.370/EUR 0.267)

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!