BRADES, Montserrat, January 30th, 2013 – Geothermal could be a game changer for Montserrat, the Honourable Premier Reuben Meade said Tuesday.
Speaking to reporters during a press briefing with the new European Union Ambassador to the Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Mikael Barfod, the premier noted that if geothermal energy is found on island it will change not only reduce the high energy bills for residents but provide new business options that can be pursued here.
This week Montserrat attains a new milestone on its push for green energy, with the expected arrival of the Iceland Drilling Company’s rig which will dig the island’s depths in the Exclusion Zone in search of enough steam to make geothermal the future energy source for the island.
The exploration is being financed by the Department for International Development (DFID) as part of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Government of Montserrat. The government has agreed to a series of reforms which will improve the ease of doing business on island, increase collection of outstanding taxes and position the island for tourism and other business development opportunities.
“It is the money of tax payers which is funding our development on island. We cannot ask other countries to do what we are not doing ourselves.” Meade said “the government intends to keep its end of the bargain and collect outstanding taxes” as well as complete all of the items in the reform matrix agreed with DFID.
The geothermal project is expected to take about four months once the rig has been put in place. Studies have shown that there is an 80% likelihood that significant geothermal energy exists which can fuel a 5MW power plant, enough to supply the present and future needs of Montserrat.
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