ROSEAU, DOMINICA – The Dominica government says the construction of the 10-megawatt geothermal power plant, expected to be the first to be constructed in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), is on target to be completed by Christmas this year.
“A lot of work is taking place. We are really on our way to constructing our 10-megawatt geothermal power plant. Currently, most of the equipment (have) been brought on-site. We had a vessel in port over a week ago,” said Dr Vince Henderson, Minister for Foreign Affairs, International Business, Trade and Energy.
The Dominica Geothermal Development Company (DGDC), the public-private partnership which is driving the power project, said that by harnessing the Nature Isle’s volcanic potential, the facility, located at Laudat, a small village in the interior of Dominica, promises to significantly reduce fossil fuel dependency while providing stable, clean energy to an estimated 23,000 Dominican homes.
“We are moving on pretty well, and I’m very, very, very happy and feel confident that we’ll be able to get this done in time,” Henderson said.
The commissioning of the Laudat plant is expected to be an early milestone in the OECS Decade of Action for Sustainable Energy Development, launched in February.
The goal is to ensure that at least 30 per cent of the region’s electricity comes from renewable sources by 2035, though several member states have pledged to ramp up to full green power by then.
Dominica is one of five member states in the OECS GEOBUILD Programme which is advancing geothermal energy in the Eastern Caribbean. Supported by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), the St. Lucia-based OECS Commission is also working to build capacity in Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St Vincent and the Grenadines to explore and develop the region’s vast geothermal potential.
The programme works to bring economic and environmental benefits beyond electric power generation, contributing to the sustainable development of the region. It is supported by the CDB, the European Union Caribbean Investment Facility and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Henderson said that the Laudat project has reached critical milestones, including the installation of key infrastructure components.
“We’ve seen the installation now of the cooling system, which is a huge radiator-type system with cooling towers at the top. The construction of the metal frame took place a few weeks ago, and we’ve seen the installation of the heaviest part of the entire power plant,” he added.
Amir Junger, the project manager from Ormat Technologies Inc., which is building and will eventually operate the power plant, said all the structure has been assembled with the air coolers.
“We are assembling the fan rings with the fan motors and the fans part of the cooling system of the air-cooled condenser. Beneath you can see that we are pouring the foundation.”
Geothermal power plants tap into underground heat reservoirs. They extract steam or hot water, which drives turbines to generate electricity. The used steam is condensed and hot water is cooled to be reinjected underground to maintain the reservoir’s pressure and sustainability. This process provides a renewable, constant energy source with minimal environmental impact.
Despite recent rainy conditions, the project remains on schedule.
“We are not stopping. The plan is to have the COD (Commercial Operation Date) on the 25th of December 2025. That’s the plan. We are doing all the efforts, keeping the schedule on a weekly basis, monitoring things, planning ahead,” Junger said.
Additional collaborative efforts include working with the electric utility, Dominica Electricity Services Limited (Domlec), to ensure power readiness and coordination with an Indian company, Kalpataru Projects International Development Company, which is building the transmission network.
The company will be constructing 10 kilometres of transmission lines with substations starting from Laudat into Fond Cole on the outskirts of the capital, where the power will be integrated into the national grid.
Guadeloupe’s Bouillante plant has been operating since 1983. It now supplies 15MW with planned expansion to 45MW.
The Laudat power plant represents a significant investment in Dominica’s sustainable energy future, supported by international partners including the World Bank and the CDB, and involving strategic collaboration with the OECS Commission, among other regional and international entities. (CMC)
