- St Vincent (SVG) Geothermal Project
The St Vincent government said on Monday it would, along with private companies, revive the National Geothermal Project in an effort to harness an initial 5 megawatts of power.
Finance Minister Camilo Gonsalves made the announcement during the 2024 budget presentation.
“The government is currently in discussion with multiple private sector entities with an interest in using the site for the generation of geothermal energy.”
Gonsalves said one of the private entities has already submitted a plan to the cabinet.
“One of the private entities has already submitted to the cabinet a proposal for a scalable, modular geothermal production facility at the plant that could generate an initial five megawatts within 24 months of activity.”
The Finance Minister stated that the lack of permeability in the rock surrounding La Soufriere dealt a setback to government geothermal ambitions; however, the government hopes to make an announcement in the first half of this year as to the next phase of our geothermal project.
In 2022, the government said it held discussions with Canadian Eavor Technologies in the hope to revive its geothermal project.
Gonsalves said, unlike the opposition steeped in the ethos of learned helplessness, the government does not accept setbacks as defeats.
“We see them as an opportunity to regroup and advance. And we continue to assure the public that the reports of the project’s deaths are greatly exaggerated.”
The budget estimates noted that the geothermal power project has been allocated EC$120,000 this year.