Dominica pushes forward towards geothermal energy

After signing a Memorandum of Understanding with a local green energy company to harness the island's geothermal potential

Dominica: After signing a Memorandum of Understanding with a local green energy company to harness the island’s geothermal potential, the Commonwealth of Dominica is pushing its quest for climate resilience one step further. The island’s commitment to championing sustainability – one of the numerous goals defined in the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals – has been reaffirmed by this recent initiative.

The signing was announced during the ongoing COP26 meeting in Glasgow, Scotland, between the Climate Resilience Executive Agency of Dominica (CREAD) and Kenesjay Green LTD. The alliance will look for investment potential in sectors including renewable energy and carbon-neutral hydrogen, as well as utilising the island’s enormous geothermal energy.

“This signing complements Dominica’s cooperation with the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in establishing green industrial projects as a key diversification endeavour and long-term economic development,” stated Francine Baron, CREAD’s CEO.

“CREAD will collaborate with Kenesjay Green Limited to help Dominica quickly position itself to take advantage of its rich geothermal resources and growing global interest in new eco-friendly goods like green hydrogen.”

Countries like Dominica are already demonstrating that they are doing their part to address the situation as world leaders and activists continue to urge dialogue on climate action in the context of COP26. Despite contributing very little to global emissions, the island has already suffered the effects of global warming and climate change, with little to no international assistance.

Minister Cozier Frederick represented Dominica at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP26), where he highlighted the absence of climate money available to small island developing nations (SIDS) like Dominica.

“There is a lot of debt difficulty among SIDS. There is currently no effective long-term debt reduction strategy, which is mostly tied to responding to climate consequences. Despite this, SIDS receive less than 2% of all climate money. Almost all of the last decade’s energy biodiversity targets were missed.”

“Hurricanes are getting more common and powerful. Dominica, like other small islands, is on the lookout for fresh prospects. This can be found in decarbonisation and renewable energy technology, as well as more sustainable forms of tourism and economic digitalization.”

Dominica committed to become the world’s first climate resilient nation following Hurricane Maria in 2017. Dominica has already begun exploring its geothermal potential as part of this aim, with the construction of a plant expected to begin soon. In addition, the island has guaranteed that infrastructure development is based on long-term sustainability and resilience. This means that structures, ranging from homes to hospitals, are designed to survive natural disasters. The same can be said for Dominica’s tourism industry, which has undergone a green revival, enhancing the island’s offering with boutique eco-friendly villas and resorts.