Nevis geothermal site could make island ‘fossil fuel free’

Last updated: 23 November 2017, 7:00 pm

Mark Brantley, the acting Premier of Nevis, has said the beginning of geothermal drilling operations means the island can hope for “cleaner, greener, cheaper energy.”

The significant project has been a priority for governments since 2004, he added.

“If we can achieve what we intend to achieve here, it means that Nevis becomes fossil fuel free for its generation of electricity,” said Brantley.

“It puts us really in a category of our own in the Caribbean and perhaps in the world, in terms of being completely sustainable for our electricity supply.”

The acting premier, who is also St Kitts and Nevis minister of foreign affairs and aviation, was speaking at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Nevis Renewable Energy International’s geothermal site at Hamilton Estate.

Drilling for a test well began on 22 November.

“This is a resource given to us by God. It is a resource made available to us and it is for us now to harness that for the benefit of the people of Nevis.”

Plans appear to be underway to address these issues.

Geothermal energy is a future that a number of other Caribbean states, Dominica and St Lucia, are exploring, said Brantley, who was standing in for Jeffers.

He urged the people of Nevis to rally behind the project.

“If they succeed, we succeed. And if they succeed, we get cleaner, greener cheaper energy and that ultimately is what is important to us,” he said.