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Basseterre, St. Kitts, May 13, 2016 (SKNIS): The surface exploration of St. Kitts moving towards geothermal energy is 80 percent underway, says Minister of Public Infrastructure, Honourable Ian Patches Liburd.

 

Appearing on the weekly radio-television show, “Working for You” on Wednesday (May 11), the minister with responsibility for Energy, said the geophysicist, geochemist and geothermal geologist have been understudying the possibility of geothermal resource in St. Kitts.

 

“Right now they are doing some data processing at some universities and labs in France as well as the United States,” said the minister. “There is 20 percent left to be done in terms of collection of data. Once we have done that, by the end of July, we will roll out the findings at the Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (Carilec) Conference around September, which will be held right here in St. Kitts. So far things are looking positive.”

 

Minister Liburd explained that the exploration of geothermal energy in St. Kitts is important because the government is of the view that “it would be irresponsible of us as an administration not to establish whether there is a geothermal resource here on St. Kitts and if so, determine how to develop that resource without retarding the progress in Nevis.”

 

The minister stated that Nevis has in fact embarked upon the development of geothermal resource 12 years ago; in 2004, they were funded by the OAS amongst others.

 

“Nevis has now signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) through the assistance of the Department of State and other partners in the United States and we are in full support of that,” he said.

 

The Minister addressed the issue of why geothermal energy is being pursued in St. Kitts while it has already been underway in Nevis. He urged persons to look at geothermal energy in terms of the long run in St. Kitts.

 

“Development in St. Kitts will not stop and the notion will not put a road block in the progress of development in Nevis,” said the minister, adding that persons should look at long term goals of maintenance and energy security.

 

“The fact that it is on Nevis should not exclude us from developing on St. Kitts,” he said, noting that the Premiere of Nevis, Honourable Vance Amory did say that “both will complement each other.”