CASTRIES, St. Lucia, CMC—The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) signed a partnership agreement with New Zealand on Friday to advance geothermal energy and renewable energy development in the subregion.
The signing ceremony occurred during the credentials presentation by New Zealand’s new Ambassador to the OECS, Linda Charlotte Te Puni.
According to a statement, the partnership signals another significant step in developing a clean, abundant, indigenous energy source in the Eastern Caribbean.
It said that the first geothermal power plant in the independent OECS member states will be completed in Dominica in 2025, while work continues in other Eastern Caribbean countries to advance their geothermal projects.
With the OECS embarking on its 2025-2035 Decade of Action for Sustainable Energy Development, OECS Director General Dr. Didacus Jules highlighted the critical role of geothermal energy in the region’s sustainable development:
“We (are) beyond exploration now. Dominica is well advanced in its efforts, and we have relied very heavily on your expertise to assist in that process,” Jules said.
“The Commission recognizes the broader potential of geothermal energy and is developing a geothermal direct-use strategy for 2035. This strategy will focus on key sectors, including agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing, and will incorporate feasibility studies, regulatory frameworks, and a cross-sector working group.
Additionally, the Commission will collaborate on a mapping exercise of geothermal resources to further advance these objectives,” he added.
The statement said the partnership agreement builds on New Zealand’s substantial commitment to geothermal energy development in the Caribbean over the past decade.
“New Zealand is delighted to have such a constructive relationship with the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States, in particular, as a close technical partner on geothermal energy, through which we have strengthened our engagement with partners in this part of the region,” said Ambassador Te Puni.
The agreement aims to enhance the OECS’s capacity in geothermal energy production, contributing to the region’s energy security and climate change mitigation efforts.
“Currently, we are conducting a capacity building gap analysis for geothermal energy development to identify priority training actions to be delivered regionally in collaboration with the OECS GEOBUILD Programme,” said Ambassador Te Puni.
She said, “Through this project, New Zealand is looking forward to further contributing to the development of geothermal technical expertise in the region and to deepening the connections between New Zealand and the Caribbean.”
The head of the Environmental Sustainability Division in the OECS Commission, Chamberlain Emmanuel, spoke of the importance of geothermal energy in the region’s renewable energy goals over the next decade:
“We are looking at at least 30 percent renewable energy penetration as an average across the OECS region, with a minimum of 20 percent per member state by 2035. But then again, there will be a range of percentages across member states.
“We do have the potential for countries with geothermal resources to exceed these targets and excellently position us, and it’s clear that geothermal is the backbone behind that transformation,” Emmanuel added.
The statement said the partnership agreement is expected to be crucial in advancing the OECS’s renewable energy development, reducing dependency on imported fossil fuels, and enhancing regional climate resilience.
It will provide technical assistance services to support the OECS in developing geothermal generation as part of a broader renewable energy strategy to achieve what Ambassador Te Puni described as “practical outcomes for small island developing states.”
The OECS Commission said it is already collaborating with the Aotearoa New Zealand-Caribbean Facility for Renewable Energy (FRENZ) to strengthen Caribbean expertise in geothermal energy development.
Under this collaboration, the OECS Geothermal Energy Capacity Building for Utilisation, Investment, and Local Development (OECS GEOBUILD) Programme conducts a six-month analysis of geothermal energy skills and training needs across the region.
The initiative, supported by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, aims to create a roadmap for sustainable capacity building in project management, engineering, environmental monitoring, and regulatory oversight.
The initiative will leverage New Zealand’s extensive experience in geothermal energy to address workforce challenges unique to small island developing states.
“This assistance in building capacity for geothermal energy is timely as Dominica prepares to follow Guadeloupe with the second geothermal power plant in the OECS and the first in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). The Bouillante plant in the neighboring OECS member state of Guadeloupe – the first in France – has been producing electricity for the last 38 years,” the Commission said.
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