Dominica plans donor conference for September
Iceland Drilling rig on site in Dominica, Caribbean (source: ISOR)
Alexander Richter
2 Jul 2013
Dominica reports willingness of French AFD to fund the first geothermal plant for the country and plans a donor conference for further development in September 2013.
Initial successful drilling at a geothermal project in Caribbean Dominica were successful, but the country has been faced with French EDF having withdrawn its participation from the planned larger geothermal development.
Last week, the Dominican Prime Minister with a delegation visited France to discuss the project with politicians and EDF to get answers and establish potential future support for the project.
Now the government is planning to host a donor conference in September aimed at boosting support for its geothermal energy project, so the Caribbean Journal.
Up to today, more than $30 million have been invested in the initial stages of geothermal development in Roseau Valley in the country.
Despite the lack of continued involvement by EDF, the recent visit by Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit to France and meetings with the Agence Francaise de Developpement in Paris, Dominica said the AFD was “prepared to fund the first plant,” which would have a capacity of 15 megawatts.
Among the countries attending the conference will be China.
“Our bilateral and development partners as well as multilateral partners will be invited to this donor conference in Dominica to specifically look at the geothermal plant,” Skerrit said. “Financing for the construction of a small plant which we are already addressing is in the region at about $40 million, so we must take note [of] that and the 120-megawatt plant would [cost] about $400 million. You are talking about a huge capital outlay there. You would certainly be looking at a number of financiers to underwrite this $400 million facility.”
Source: Caribbean Journal
