Saint Lucia’s geothermal exploration programme has moved into several communities, with the government preparing to appoint contractors for civil works and eventual drilling. The World Bank-funded project remains at the exploration stage: drilling will establish whether underground heat can support electricity generation.
Exploration moves across three communities
Physical Development and Public Utilities Minister Keithson Charles said geothermal exploration is ongoing in the Saltibus, Fond St Jacques and Belle Plaine area, describing the project as “quite advanced”. The work is intended to establish whether the underground resource is strong enough to generate electricity, rather than confirming that a power plant can yet be built. A project implementation team is already in place, and consultations have been held with residents and farmers in the affected communities. The programme is therefore combining technical investigation with engagement around land and livelihoods as the public investment moves towards its next phase.
Bidding precedes civil works and drilling
The procurement sequence described by Charles starts with civil works needed to make the exploration sites accessible and usable. These works will include road construction and expansion, together with preparation of the well pads where drilling rigs will eventually sit. The bidding process is nearing completion, and contractors are expected to be brought on board before work moves into the drilling phase. This is a staged approach: competition is used to appoint suppliers for enabling construction, while drilling then supplies the evidence needed to assess the geothermal resource. The outcome of exploration will shape any later decision on electricity generation.
Relocation and energy-cost aims remain in view
Some project activity has required residents to relocate. Charles said two families have been displaced and replacement homes are being built, adding that affected people are not simply put out of their property and left behind. He referred to rules governing how residents are treated, placing resettlement within the project’s implementation obligations. The government’s wider aim is to reduce exposure to fluctuating global oil prices and make electricity costs more predictable if a good geothermal resource is found. Charles cautioned that this would not necessarily mean cheap electricity. Solar and wind are also under consideration as part of the broader renewable-energy push.
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Project status | Geothermal exploration is ongoing |
| Funding | World Bank-funded |
| Exploration areas | Saltibus, Fond St Jacques and Belle Plaine |
| Next works | Road construction and expansion, and preparation of well pads |
| Procurement status | The bidding process is nearing completion |
| Relocation | Two families have been displaced and replacement homes are being built |
If we can harness a good resource, we can actually stabilise the cost of electricity moving forward.
WHY IT MATTERS
The project shows how a major public investment can move through distinct procurement stages: exploration first, enabling civil works next, and drilling before any decision on electricity generation. For bidders, the immediate opportunity concerns the contractors appointed for roads, site expansion and well-pad preparation. For the public, the project’s potential benefits remain conditional on the resource identified by drilling.
Reported from stluciatimes.com, 2026-10-04. The Tender Wire is published by Otnox.
