Dominica Will Soon Be Totally Powered By Hot Water
- Editor OGN Daily
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
It’s called geothermal energy, and it’s an exciting prospect for the country.
To end the country's long reliance on generators fuelled by imported diesel, a geothermal power station is being built in the south of the Caribbean island. It will access the boiling hot water, contained in natural underground reservoirs that are heated by the surrounding volcanic rock.
Geothermal has none of the intermittency issues of wind and solar - in other words, it provides stable clean energy day and night, says the UN. The 10-megawatt plant, under construction in the lush Roseau Valley, is on track to become operational by the end of the year. And, because the plant doesn’t take up any surface real estate, the Roseau Valley will stay in its pristine state.
Steam will be drawn up to the surface to drive turbines that will generate electricity. The used steam will then be cooled to the point where it becomes water again, and re-injected back underground for the process to restart.
With rainforests, waterfalls, volcanoes and hot springs, the Caribbean island of Dominica's dramatic landscape is a haven for adventure-seeking ecotourists. The island sits between Martinique and Guadeloupe, and attracted 83,966 visitors last year, a 13 percent rise from 2023, led by new direct flights from the US, and the opening of more hotels.
Nicknamed the "Nature Island", Dominica will shortly enable its natural resources to generate clean electricity for its 66,000 residents and its tourism sector. And it is not just Dominica (not to be confused with the similarly named Dominican Republic), that is set to benefit. Long-term plans include exporting surplus electricity via undersea cables to neighbouring islands.