~ The Leeward Islands Geothermal and Digital Interconnection Center project and its benefits for Country Sint Maarten/St Martin ~
From our French correspondentMARIGOT – The Geothermal and Digital Interconnection Center project for the Leeward Islands is a project co-financed by the European funding agency Interreg Caraibes. As of 2022, the project is in the pre-feasibility phase with a total available budget of 2.9 million euros to be used before December 2023.
The pre-feasibility phase examines the potential for geothermal energy within the Leeward Islands and a public inter-island digital network partnership.
“Until now, the heads of government of Sint Maarten/St. Martin, Anguilla, St Barths, Antiqua, Saba, Sint Eustatius and the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis have expressed their political will for the goals of this project”, said Omar Morales who is the head of the EU Funds project in the Collective of St. Martin.
Saint Martin Overseas Collective and Unite Caribbean[1] are co-project leaders who ensure steering committee meetings, financial reporting to donors and other aspects of project management, in addition, the Saint Martin overseas collective explores the pre-feasibility of inter-island digital connectivity while overseeing network studies and those economic. research, necessary technical assistance and a governance guide.
Teranov is a French-based company that focuses on the development of geothermal energy in the Latin and Caribbean region.[2] This company is responsible for the preliminary assessment of the geothermal resource in the islands of Saba, St. Eustatius and St. Kitts. On the other hand, EDF[3] which is located in Guadeloupe is responsible for the pre-feasibility study of the electrical interconnection, in particular, research in Geochemistry, Geology and Geophysics.
“Regarding European Union cross-border funding agencies such as Interreg Caraibes; It is vital that government institutions, non-profit organizations and private entities focus on developing a multidisciplinary team that has the same common goal. This multidisciplinary team consists of industry experts and partners within the country to research, design and implement such a regional project,” explained Omar Morales.
After the pre-feasibility phase, the project moves on to feasibility and constructions of geothermal plants and digital fiber optic connection between territorial partners. Funding for these phases should be determined. The European Investment Bank (EIB) is seen as a viable co-financing option, according to Omar Morales.
Sint Maarten’s government and society have a major role to play in redefining the national energy landscape. The community should also be considered a key stakeholder. Geothermal energy has the distinction of higher availability when compared to forms of wind, solar and hydro energy and can be distributed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and is less vulnerable to hurricanes and high winds. It is definitely a viable option for Sint Maarten/St. Martin.
Imagine, a Sint Maarten experiencing a category 5 storm like IRMA again with a public partnership agreement with the Leeward Islands in providing geothermal energy; we may experience less power outages or even load shedding. Through geothermal energy we will become a more resilient country. Dependence only on fossil fuels and their unpredictable costs will only further deteriorate our overall quality of life.
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On the other hand, there is a potential business model for geothermal energy. The tourism sector is one of the largest consumers of energy. The government of Sint Maarten, for example, can sell power to cruise ships at the dock. The plug-and-pay business model provides cruise ships with other sources of energy from which the government can receive a payment. It’s a win-win situation. There is an economic growth link with geothermal energy as it can provide a competitive advantage to a country’s economy.
Additionally, an inter-island partnership agreement for geothermal energy and a digital fiber optic ecosystem has the potential to lower the cost of energy and the cost of internet as the cost can be spread across territorial partners. “Development projects such as the Leeward Island Geothermal Project and the Digital Interconnection Hub can offer countries economies of scale. Therefore, it is vital to ensure that key stakeholders are fully engaged in all phases of this project as a means to obtain milestones for resilience, alternative energy sources and improved digital ecosystems,” said Omar Morales.
As a country, we must advocate for the potential of Geothermal Energy and inter-island digital connectivity in Sint Maarten by questioning our members of parliament and future politicians. The cost of living is rising and we need to improve our quality of life. We cannot miss such an opportunity for our country. The opportunity is here and now.
[1] https://unite-caribbean.com/en/
[2] Home page (teranov.com)
[3] Home page EDF Guadeloupe EDF Guadeloupe
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