OECS & NZ partner to advance geothermal in Eastern Caribbean
Drilling operations in Roseau Valley, Dominica (source: OECS)
Alexander Richter
10 Mar 2025
The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States and New Zealand sign an agreement to enhance geothermal energy development in the Eastern Caribbean.
The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) reported that OECS and New Zealand have signed a groundbreaking partnership agreement to accelerate geothermal energy development in the region. The agreement, formalized during the presentation of credentials by Her Excellency Linda Charlotte Te Puni, New Zealand’s new Ambassador to the OECS, underscores a shared commitment to renewable energy and climate resilience.
This collaboration builds on New Zealand’s decade-long support for geothermal energy development in the Caribbean. The OECS is entering its 2025-2035 Decade of Action for Sustainable Energy Development, with geothermal energy at the core of its long-term strategy.
Dr. Didacus Jules, Director General of the OECS, emphasized the importance of this partnership: “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.”
As part of the initiative, the OECS is developing a Geothermal Direct Use Strategy to 2035, aimed at integrating geothermal energy into agriculture, tourism, and manufacturing. The strategy includes feasibility studies, regulatory frameworks, and a cross-sector working group to advance geothermal development.
Key Areas of Collaboration will enhance technical expertise through a capacity-building gap analysis, support the OECS GEOBUILD Programme, which is conducting a six-month study on geothermal skills and training needs across the region, facilitate collaboration on a geothermal resource mapping exercise to guide future development, and provide technical assistance services to support geothermal power generation.
According to Ambassador Te Puni, New Zealand is committed to delivering “practical outcomes for small island developing states,” helping to strengthen the Caribbean’s renewable energy sector.
With Dominica’s first geothermal power plant set to launch in 2025, the agreement is timely. The country is poised to follow Guadeloupe, home to the long-operating Bouillante Geothermal Plant, in bringing geothermal electricity generation online.
Chamberlain Emmanuel, Head of the Environmental Sustainability Division at the OECS Commission, highlighted geothermal energy’s role in the region’s renewable energy transition:
“We are looking at at least 30% renewable energy penetration across the OECS region, with a minimum of 20% 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.”
The OECS GEOBUILD Programme, backed by the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Caribbean Development Bank, and the European Union Caribbean Investment Facility, is playing a central role in ensuring the long-term success of geothermal energy in the Eastern Caribbean.
With technical support from New Zealand’s Aotearoa New Zealand-Caribbean Facility for Renewable Energy (FRENZ), this initiative will help the region overcome workforce challenges, build local expertise, and strengthen energy security.
Source: OECS
