ST. GEORGE’S, Grenada, CMC – Grenada is moving towards reviving efforts to develop its geothermal energy sector with the staging of a national public consultation on Thursday, November 9, to present and discuss the draft Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the exploration drilling phase of the project.
The government said that the draft ESIA had been prepared by the UK-based consulting firm Mott MacDonald and is now available for public review and comments.
“The Ministry of Climate Resilience, the Environment and Renewable Energy (MCRERE) is now pleased to invite you, and all stakeholders and interested parties, to access and review the draft ESIA documentation.”
The government said it is seeking to maximize the use of renewable energy as part of its agenda to transform the energy sector and improve the lives of citizens in the tri-island state.
“As part of that process, and with grant funding support from the Caribbean Development Bank and technical assistance from the Governments of New Zealand and Japan, the Government is investigating Grenada’s geothermal energy potential to develop a power station that will supply 15 MW of baseload power to the national electricity grid,” the ministry said
The authorities here said the geothermal development program commenced with preliminary, surface-based explorations in 2015, and the program is now in its exploration drilling phase, where slimhole geothermal wells are proposed to be drilled at two locations to confirm the existence and characteristics of a suitable geothermal source.
They said that the draft ESIA “is the most recent step in our disclosure and consultation process” and that “the government is committed to a transparent process that involves stakeholders and utilizes industry best practices.”
The ministry said that in 2015, responding to requests from Grenada, the New Zealand Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) funded technical assistance to undertake preliminary exploration activities in Grenada, which indicated the presence of underground geothermal reservoirs that could potentially support power generation.
It said that the technical assistance activities included:
- A pre-feasibility assessment.
- Initial environmental and social analysis.
- A preliminary drilling plan was produced in 2016.
It said seven locations were identified as possible drilling locations for deep slim holes.
Exploration wells and this list were refined to a shortlist of three locations following an initial assessment of water requirements and accessibility of the sites.
In 2016, an infrastructure assessment was undertaken to confirm the feasibility of access to
The three shortlisted areas.
“As part of this study, one of the key aspects identified was providing a reliable water supply. 2018 Jacobs produced an Exploration Drilling Plan, Water Resources Assessment, and Drilling Site Definition Report. The Drilling Site Definition Report) further refined the proposed drilling site options, detailed water requirements, and well pad locations.”
The report identified four possible drilling locations, and subsequent analysis narrowed down the two preferred sites in the St. Patrick and St. John parishes.
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