Multi-million dollar tests carried out by Icelandic experts on the island of Montserrat indicate promising potential to generate power using geothermal energy. Montserrat currently has the highest rates in the Caribbean with residential customers paying $0.50 per kilowatt-hour for electricity, compared to the regional average of $0.33. In 2013 the UK Department for International Development funded two exploratory wells capable of producing 1.5 MW of power each; and now the DfID has agreed to fund a third well.
Dr. Graham Ryan, a research expert on the project, told the BBC that the capacity of the initial wells is well beyond the 1.7 MW of electricity that the island uses however: “environmentally, best practice is to re-inject spent geothermal fluid back into the reservoir. … An extra well would allow the current energy requirements of the island to be met and potentially give room for expansion”.
Decision makers and industrialists on the island hope that the production of low-emission energy will make Montserrat a clear choice for eco-tourists and small, environmentally conscious companies. Montserrat would not be the first Caribbean country to make use of its volcano in such a way. St Vincent, St Lucia, Nevis and Dominica are among those making significant headway in the sector. But in Montserrat’s case, it is hoped the move would put the 39-sq mile island, home to about 5,000 people, on a path to greater self-sufficiency as well as reducing reliance on the UK for funding that amounted to £31m in 2013 and a total of £420m since 1995.
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