Deputy Premier and Minister of Communications, Works, Labour and Energy, Dr. Samuel Joseph is currently in Mexico for the 9th Geothermal Congress for Latin America and the Caribbean (GEOLAC).
The two-day conference which runs on November 7 and 8, 2022 brings together 150 leaders of industry, finance, and government to look at ways to build on the progress made to date and how to expand the potential for geothermal in the region.
Dr. Joseph is scheduled to be part of a panel on Monday afternoon which asks four questions:
- The Caribbean’s geothermal potential: Dominica, Montserrat, St. Lucia and Nevis: What is the outlook for power production and DU applications?
- How can projects tick all the boxes? (heating, power, job creation, decarbonization)
- What innovative solutions could increase the potential for geothermal for islands? Is interconnectivity the best approach?
- How to maximize excess power generated (from geothermal) to the benefit of Caribbean islands?
Jointly organized by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the World Bank and ESMAP, GEOLAC will bring the market together to solve critical problems and overcome obstacles. How do the volatile global market conditions influence the progress of geothermal energy in the region? How do new technologies change the narrative? Can we take advantage of geothermal energy for the production and extraction of raw materials throughout the region? Will Latin America’s new political elite defend energy independence from geothermal energy?
Minister Joseph is hopeful that his participation will bring Montserrat to the attention of investors and developers interested in developing the island’s geothermal resource.
Montserrat is currently accepting pre-qualification bids to develop its three existing geothermal wells on a Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) Basis. The deadline for submission is March 29, 2023
