PetroCaribe will not affect geothermal project…says Minister Powell

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis – THE PetroCaribe agreement, an oil and trade arrangement between Venezuela and 14 other countries in the Caribbean and Latin America, will not affect Nevis’s plans for geothermal energy.

This is according to Nevis’s Minister of Communication, Works and Public Utilities, the Hon. Carlisle Powell who spoke with SKNVibes in the wake of last week’s Sixth PetroCaribe Summit of Heads of State and Government in St. Kitts.

According to Minister Powell, the project would not only continue but – having completed the exploration stage, would soon move on to the exploitation phase where a facility would be built and Nevis powered by geothermal energy.

Powell said Nevis was not part of the PetroCaribe arrangement but is happy to be now included. 

“This is the first time anybody from Nevis has attended PetroCaribe. We have not benefited in the past from any of the fuel arrangements; from any of the bitumen for building roads…because the previous administration did not participate.”

The Minister said the Nevis Island Administration (NIA) was therefore delighted to have been able to approach the Federal government with a view of actively participating in the PetroCaribe arrangement. 

“It is still in our best interest to be able to access cheaper bitumen for fixing our roads and to be able to access cheaper fuels, because the power station at Prospect will not be closed, even when we have geothermal energy. We will still be maintaining the engines just in case we have to revert to them. Hopefully we won’t have to.”

Minister Powell noted that far from being set back, geothermal is set for a rapid take off. “As a matter of fact, with the conference at the end of this month, we see ourselves picking up speed and pace,” he added. 

Nevis will host a geothermal conference from June 30 to July 02 at the Mount Nevis Hotel which, according to Powell, has seen more than 70 persons from a variety of countries and organisations already registered.

“Those persons are representing countries as far away as Iceland, Norway, Germany, Chile, the United States, most of the Caribbean islands; and institutions like University of the West Indies, to the OAS, to the UNDP, to CARICOM. A wide range of institutions and very well-known persons in the field of geothermal energy will be descending on Nevis.”

The Minister also listed as a bonus, the fact that the University of Auckland would be running a one-day geothermal workshop on the last day of the conference. 

“What that says to us is that people the world over know of geothermal explorations in Nevis and are willing to participate in what we are doing here.”

Minister Powell also revealed that Taiwan would be represented at the conference following an invitation extended by Premier Parry during his recent visit to that country. He said the Taiwanese are well aware and up to date on what is happening in Nevis.