OECS Signs Partnership Agreement With New Zealand to Boost Geothermal Energy Development
CASTRIES, St. Lucia – The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Friday signed a partnership agreement with New Zealand to advance geothermal energy and renewable energy development in the sub region.
New Zealand’s new Ambassador to the OECS, Linda Charlotte Te Puni. and OECS Director General, Dr. Didacus Jules sign the partnership agreement (OECS Commission Photo)The signing ceremony took place during the presentation of credentials by New Zealand’s new Ambassador to the OECS, Linda Charlotte Te Puni.
According to a statement issued here, the partnership signals another major step in the development of a clean, abundant, indigenous energy source in the Eastern Caribbean.
It said that the first geothermal power plant in the independent OECS member states is set to 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 to 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 that 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 building 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 per cent renewable energy penetration as an average across the OECS region, with a minimum 20 per cent 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 position us in an excellent way, and it’s clear that geothermal is really the backbone behind that transformation,” Emmanuel added.
The statement said the partnership agreement is expected to play a crucial role in advancing the OECS’s renewable energy development, reducing dependency on imported fossil fuels, and enhancing climate resilience across the region.
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 is conducting a six-month analysis of geothermal energy skills and training needs across the region.
Supported by New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the initiative 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 to build 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.
