Dominica’s Geothermal Plant nears completion, commissioning set for this month

Dominica: The geothermal plant in Laudat is expected to be commissioned by the end of March 2026. This announcement was made by Prime Minister Dr Roosevelt Skerrit during a press conference, earlier this week.

PM Skerrit said that the plant has undergone several testing phases in the last few weeks. All the systems at the plant are completed and fully working. “From all reports, it has been successfully tested and that we look forward to the Dominican people benefiting from this investment,” he added.

The geothermal plant has an output of 10 megawatts and amounts to US$34.8 million. It will be the second geothermal plant in the OECS and the first of its type in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The facility at present is in Laudat within the Roseau Valley and will provide energy to several neighbouring areas.

The plant uses heat from Dominica’s volcano to generate power. This clean energy source is expected to reduce the country's dependency on generating energy from fossil fuels. According to reports from Dominica Geothermal Development Company (DGDC), the project will supply stable power to almost 23,000 homes in Dominica.

OECS pushes for more renewable energy

The OECS Decade of Action for Sustainable Energy Development (2025-2035), which was launched in February last year, will have its first major milestone achieved by the commissioning of this facility. It was established through the Basseterre Declaration of the Council of Ministers: Energy, at its third meeting in St Kitts and Nevis.

This initiative aims to transform energy in the Eastern Caribbean, by producing at least 30% of the electricity from renewable resources by 2035. It will also increase universal access to a wide range of renewable energy sources including solar, wind, geothermal and green hydrogen, reducing the dependency on fossil fuels.

Dominica is also a member of the OECS GEOBUILD Programme, which focuses on developing geothermal resources in the Eastern Caribbean. It is supported by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the OECS Commission.

Other islands that joined this initiative include - Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.