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St. Kitts and Nevis Information
Nevis developing Geothermal Power
2009-10-05 22:17:19 by
Nevis is on the verge of becoming the "greenest" island in the Caribbean as it sits on the threshold of harnessing geothermal energy, not only for its own needs but also for the neighboring islands in the Eastern Caribbean.
Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Carlisle Powell has indicated that Nevis has the potential to produce 900 megawatts of electricity, which is perhaps much more than Nevis will ever need. Currently, the island only consumes 9 megawatts of power.
Powell, who is also responsible for public utilities, predicted that the production of geothermal energy in Nevis will begin in 2010 and estimated that it will cost about US$50 million to bring the project on line. When the geothermal plant is fully up and running, Nevis is expected to produce 35 megawatts of electricity.
This geothermal project will create power through the drilling of three geothermal wells and the installation of steam turbine power units thereby reducing greenhouse gas emission and contributing to the efforts of damaging climate changes.
According to eTurboNews, "The 36-square-mile island does not have the financial and technical resources to undertake this ambitious project and subsequently has reached out to regional and international agencies and institutions for assistance. These include the United Nations Development Program, the Caribbean Community and the University of the West Indies and the University of New Zealand."
Minister Powell mentioned that Iceland, which produces about 15 percent of its electricity from geothermal sources, has been instrumental in providing assistance and technical expertise to Nevis.
Earlier this year, a major geothermal conference was held on Nevis. The event attracted over 100 experts from as far a field as Germany, Mexico, Iceland New Zealand and the USA. According to officials of the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), the aims of the conference were to educate the people of Nevis on the importance of this project and to share the (geothermal) knowledge gained with other countries.
In highlighting some of the benefits of geothermal power on the island, Mr. Powell said that it will reduce the cost of living as the country will be able to cut its electricity bill by approximately 30 percent and that the Island will be able to attract businesses which depend heavily on the usage of electricity. He estimated for example that the Nevis Four Seasons Hotel could save up to US$250,000 per year on its electricity bill.
Minister Powell has stressed that this project is not just for Nevis but the entire Caribbean noting that St. Kitts, the larger sister island, will be the first to benefit from this initiative. The United States Virgin Islands is interested in purchasing 150MW of power and the islands of Anguilla, Puerto Rico and St. Martin have all shown a keen interest in buying electricity from Nevis.
Read more at eTurboNews.
Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment Carlisle Powell has indicated that Nevis has the potential to produce 900 megawatts of electricity, which is perhaps much more than Nevis will ever need. Currently, the island only consumes 9 megawatts of power.
Powell, who is also responsible for public utilities, predicted that the production of geothermal energy in Nevis will begin in 2010 and estimated that it will cost about US$50 million to bring the project on line. When the geothermal plant is fully up and running, Nevis is expected to produce 35 megawatts of electricity.
This geothermal project will create power through the drilling of three geothermal wells and the installation of steam turbine power units thereby reducing greenhouse gas emission and contributing to the efforts of damaging climate changes.
According to eTurboNews, "The 36-square-mile island does not have the financial and technical resources to undertake this ambitious project and subsequently has reached out to regional and international agencies and institutions for assistance. These include the United Nations Development Program, the Caribbean Community and the University of the West Indies and the University of New Zealand."
Minister Powell mentioned that Iceland, which produces about 15 percent of its electricity from geothermal sources, has been instrumental in providing assistance and technical expertise to Nevis.
Earlier this year, a major geothermal conference was held on Nevis. The event attracted over 100 experts from as far a field as Germany, Mexico, Iceland New Zealand and the USA. According to officials of the Nevis Island Administration (NIA), the aims of the conference were to educate the people of Nevis on the importance of this project and to share the (geothermal) knowledge gained with other countries.
In highlighting some of the benefits of geothermal power on the island, Mr. Powell said that it will reduce the cost of living as the country will be able to cut its electricity bill by approximately 30 percent and that the Island will be able to attract businesses which depend heavily on the usage of electricity. He estimated for example that the Nevis Four Seasons Hotel could save up to US$250,000 per year on its electricity bill.
Minister Powell has stressed that this project is not just for Nevis but the entire Caribbean noting that St. Kitts, the larger sister island, will be the first to benefit from this initiative. The United States Virgin Islands is interested in purchasing 150MW of power and the islands of Anguilla, Puerto Rico and St. Martin have all shown a keen interest in buying electricity from Nevis.
Read more at eTurboNews.