EDF decision not to effect ongoing development in Dominica
Dominica, Caribbean (source: flickr/ boshamite, creative commons)
Alexander Richter
17 Apr 2013
The decision of EDF to not pursue further support of geothermal development in Dominica is only effecting the development aimed at export of geothermal power to Guadeloupe and Martinique not the ongoing initial phase of development.
Recent news on an exit of French EDF from geothermal development in Dominica in the Caribbean, are – according to local sources – not effecting the geothermal development for the development of an initial 20 MW plant.
Dominica had the intention to build out geothermal power generation capacity of up to 120 MW, of which 100 MW was to be used for export to the French territories of Guadeloupe and Martinique in the Caribbean.
The geothermal efforts on Dominica have been a joint project by the State of Dominica, Guadeloupe and Martinqique, LÁdeme, BRGM, AFD and several private French enterprises. On the project itself Icelandic firms Iceland Drilling and ISOR were working on drilling and exploration work.
Now it seems EDF seems to favour investments, “including a pipeline by Eastern Caribbean Gas Pipeline company (ECGP) that will bring natural gas from Trinidad and Tobago through Barbados on to St. Lucia, Martinique and Guadeloupe, construction of which is scheduled to begin next year.”
But all partners and governments involved seem to be stunned by the decision of EDF and likely this is not the end of the story to the extension of the current geothermal development to supply green baseload power to Martinique and Guadeloupe.
Source: Dominica News Online
