St. Kitts is moving to finalize a geothermal agreement, while exploring the possibility of interconnection with Nevis and energy export.
Confirming that geothermal resource exists on both St. Kitts and Nevis, Minister of Public Infrastructure with responsibility for Energy, the Honourable Ian Patches Liburd, called for a discussion on interconnectivity and energy export.
“Given our many challenges, we felt that it would be irresponsible of us as a government if we did not establish whether there was a geothermal resource on St. Kitts and if so, determine how to develop that resource without retarding the process on Nevis,” said Minister Liburd. He continues that both islands have established they have a geothermal resource and that “the situation is now ripe for discussion on interconnectivity, on the export of energy, and as we on St. Kitts move now to finalize a geothermal agreement.”
Speaking in Parliament on February 16, two years after the Government of National Unity assumed political office, Minister Liburd said that alternative energy must be the energy choice of a future St. Kitts and Nevis.
“We took a deliberate approach to face the many energy challenges. We took steps to ensure that renewable energy plays a critical role in the sustainable development and economic growth of our twin island federation.”
Minister Liburd, said that the Team Unity Administration is “committed to investing in alternative energy, pursuing geothermal energy production, completing the wind farm (and) supporting solar farm development.”
Minister Liburd added: “I opine that we in St. Kitts and Nevis say that the energy sector is the future so we took a three-pronged approach—we updated our energy policy and legislative framework for the adoption of alternative energy to build a more competitive private sector and improve energy security for households. We established an energy unit in the ministry.”
He said that as of February 1, 2017, there is now a new director of energy within his ministry.
In September 2015, Minister Liburd signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Teranov, a French engineering and services company for new and renewable energy based in Guadeloupe. The MOU included a road map that could possibly see the production of geothermal energy in 2020.
Teranov began geothermal exploration exercises in the Sandy Point area around Brimstone Hill, going to the top of Mount Liamigua in late 2015.
Five geoscientists were in St. Kitts conducting feasibility studies in geophysics, geology and geochemistry. President of Teranov, Jacques Chouraki, said at the time that the prospects for geothermal energy on St. Kitts were promising.
