Community Pulse

Dominica’s Geothermal Project Reaches Another Milestone

Dominica has made great strides in its quest to produce energy from its abundant geothermal resource thus reducing energy costs, replacing carbon-based fuel and strengthening energy security. To this end during the month of December 2025, efforts at commissioning a 10 MW geothermal plant at Laudat, Roseau, began. The plant was built and will be managed by the Geothermal Power Company of Dominica LTD, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ormat Technologies, established specifically to implement this project. The company has a concession agreement to operate the plant for 25 years. Timeline for the remaining commissioning activities up to March 2026 is displayed below:

The power from the plant will be sold to the Dominica Electricity Services Ltd, who has the exclusive license to distribute and supply electricity in Dominica.

To connect the plant to the national grid and supply the whole island with geothermal energy, a high-voltage transmission network is being built. Construction works is being funded by the Government of Dominica.

St. Lucia’s own efforts at geothermal development, though still at the exploratory stage, is proceeding smoothly. Over the next two years, three exploratory wells will be drilled in Belle Plaine and Belvedere, Soufriere, and Saltibus, Laborie, to confirm the economic viability of the island’s geothermal resource. It is expected that preparatory civil work will begin in the latter half of 2026.

A mid-project perception survey of the project showed that most St. Lucians were excited about the country’s prospects of producing geothermal power. For more updates on St. Lucia’s own journey please follow the project’ s Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/resdpsaintlucia/ and its website at www.sluresdp.com.

RESDP Addresses Recent Public Concerns Wrongly Associated With Exploration Drilling

The PIU wishes to assure the public that the recent tremors felt in Soufriere during the month of December were not related to drilling activity within the proposed drilling sites.

Over the last four weeks the community of Soufriere has been rocked by several felt events with one registering as high as M3.2. Seismic data reviewed by UWI SRC over the past month indicate that nine regional events were felt in and around Saint Lucia.

However, several were minor in magnitude. These regional events were also felt in Martinique, Barbados, and neighbouring territories.

Saint Lucia lies within a volcanically and seismically active region, where minor tremors and earthquakes are a natural occurrence. Such seismic activity is routinely recorded across the Eastern Caribbean and is not uncommon in the region.

According to the Dr. Ken Aldonza, RESDP Project Manager “The increased occurrence of seismic activity which was recorded in December was not associated with any project activities, as no drilling or civil works have commenced to date in any of the drilling locations: Belvedere and Belle Plaine, Soufriere, and Saltibus, Laborie. However, they are consistent with natural regional tectonic and volcanic activity and are independent of any development initiatives.”

Saint Lucia lies within a volcanically and seismically active region, where minor tremors and earthquakes are a natural occurrence. Such seismic activity is routinely recorded across the Eastern Caribbean and is not uncommon in the region. Through the RESDP, the Government of Saint Lucia intends to explore the country’s geothermal energy potential. The project involves drilling slim-hole wells to about 2,000 metres beneath the earth’s surface. Civil works to prepare the drill sites are expected to commence in the latter half of 2026 and drilling works in 2027.

The Communications Team of the RESDP wishes to reaffirm the project’s commitment to transparency and to assure the public that information on the project’s impacts, planned or unplanned, will continue to be shared with the public in a timely manner.

Members of the public are encouraged to rely on verified sources and official updates for information related to seismic events such as the National Emergency Management Organisation and UWI Seismic and for project progress the RESDP’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/resdpsaintlucia and website www.sluresdp.com.